The Kazuya Story: Tekken 2
by gamegirl07
Summary: The story continues as Devil endeavors to destroy Kazuya's will to retain some semblance of his humanity. Angel makes her presence known and Jun finally begins on her journey that could potentially save the world from an impending doom. A sequel.
1. The CEO Known as Kazuya

Chapter 1: The CEO Known as Kazuya

Kazuya watched as Lee swept the floor around his office. Lee made for a poor janitor. He failed miserably at sweeping every time and his mopping was no better. It didn't help that he had a bad attitude about the whole thing. Kazuya would watch him intently much to his amusement and Lee would avoid eye contact at all costs. Kazuya would return to whatever needed his attention on his desk only to be interrupted moments later as he heard a plastic broom being slammed to the ground. Kazuya only looked up in mild interest as the other stormed over to his desk and crashed his open palms on his thankfully sturdy desk.

"I've had enough of this! Can't you find someone better suited to cleaning? I'm not a janitor!"

The grin that Lee could plainly see on the other's face only worsened his mood. "Sorry, you're all that I have for the job. Didn't you say that you wanted to work here no matter what position I had open?"

"Yes, but, this is ridiculous. I'm _wasting _my talents here. How can anyone possibly be promoted if all they do is menial tasks like this?" Lee said through gritted teeth.

"Why would I want to promote you? This is a far more appropriate job title, don't you think?"

"What am I even here for?—your entertainment?"

"I'd say you're doing a good job of that."

"That's it! I'm leaving."

"You said that yesterday, didn't you?"

When Lee got to the large double doors, he could only glower at the other from a distance, but he could only do it for so long. The smug look on Kazuya's face was enough to make him want to…Lee left before his thoughts could get any darker and slammed the door as hard as he could behind him. He went to the lobby that was on the first floor so that he could cool off. It was the same thing almost every day. He'd come into work and then be assigned to cleaning. The first day, he had been furious, but this was the only way to stay somehow connected to the Mishima Zaibatsu. He'd try to clean everywhere besides Kazuya's office until Kazuya was out on lunch or when he was supposed to be out in meetings, but Lee's plans would more than likely be thwarted. There was a schedule he was supposed to keep and Kazuya would call for him if he was even a second late. That bastard.

How could a person be entertained by the same display over and over again? How did he get off on such a thing? Was it really that hilarious? That person sitting at the desk—no, could he even be called a person; that _demon_. He would be grinning the entire time and it never got old. What was so funny about another man's plight? If Jun could see him now, Lee would finally be able to convince her that he wasn't worth anyone's time. He was a lost cause. Why hadn't Heihachi just given the corporation to him? What was the point of holding a tournament to determine who would be the owner of such a lucrative business? This wasn't a _game_. How did some bonehead fighter even have the _qualifications_ to run something like this? Sometimes he wondered where Heihachi's logic was. Now look at him. Now he's dead.

"Son."

"Huh?" Lee said as he was interrupted from his thoughts. The voice sounded old. He turned to the source of it and found that the voice had indeed come from a rather elderly looking man. Lee could even go out on a limb and say that he was Chinese from the way he dressed.

"Son, you wouldn't happen to be Heihachi's adoptive son would you?"

"That would be him. Did you have some business with me?"

"Oh good, I wasn't entirely certain. I wanted to discuss something with you…after 'work', of course."

"Is there a reason you can't just tell me now?"

"After work. I promise it's something you'll want to hear."

"Alright, old man, I'll call you."

With this, the elderly Chinese man shuffled away with a brief wave.

"Hey, what's your name," Lee called out before he was out of earshot.

"Wang Jinrei."

The name didn't ring any bells with Lee. He wasn't even sure if he worked there. If it turned out that this Jinrei didn't, then he'd have no way of calling him. Lee wasn't too overly concerned about this—he was almost certain that he was some kooky old man who just wanted a drinking partner. Not that he was opposed to this; he could use a good drink…

Lee spent the rest of the day cleaning the entire floor before his workday came to a close. He found the closest computer and logged in to his account. It was easy to find someone's number if they worked there. Sure enough, Wang Jinrei was on the list of employees. Did Kazuya even know that such a guy was still on the books? When Lee got into his car, he called up the old man and they pinned down a location to meet in a bar somewhere nearby.

_This better be good…_

/

"Ah, glad you could come," the old man greeted the other.

"No problem," Lee said back as he sat down at a barstool next to him

They drank for a little while before they got to the main point of the meeting. Neither of them was in a rush.

"It's about Kazuya," Jinrei began.

_Great, some way to blackmail him. I'm all in._

"You've known him for a while, haven't you?" Jinrei asked.

"Ah, I don't think I've ever really _known_ him. Very few people can actually say that. But certainly, I've met him and knew he existed for a long time."

"That's good enough. Even you have to have noticed the 'changes'."

Lee gave the other a slightly confused look and then took another sip of his martini.

"The 'subtle differences' in his personality," Jinrei continued.

"What are you getting at, old man? I don't think I follow."

"The Mishima family has a dark history, but I won't bore you with an overly long story. My close friend Jinpachi—Kazuya's grandfather—was taken as a result of it and in a way so has Heihachi. Jinpachi was a good, upright man; his only setback was his last name. He was murdered, you see. Now, I know that such accusations might seem unfounded and you could probably come up with a plethora of evidences towards the contrary, but I tell you now the truth. Do you believe me?"

Lee shook his head slowly, "Listen, I'm no expert with the Mishima family. You could have told me that Heihachi skydives on his free time and I might have believed you. But this…this is a bit farfetched."

"Have you ever known Heihachi? He took you in personally, did he not?"

"Yes, he did. He was kind enough to take me in and give me shelter. It's not like I worship the ground he walks on, but he has caused me no harm. He's not the nicest guy I've ever met, but he seems to have my best interests at heart. He fully paid for my college that was overseas at a prominent American university. How bad could he be?"

"That's very strange indeed, his behavior towards you, don't you think?"

"Maybe you've got your facts wrong."

"Oh, no, I'm sure I don't. I knew Jinpachi quite well and as I told you before he was my good friend. We spoke on everything. There was no secret left untold."

"And you sound so certain of yourself."

"Have you ever asked Heihachi why? Why would he take you in like that?—You, out of so many others."

"No, but I figured it was because I had demonstrated that I could take care of myself. I think Heihachi appreciates strength over all else, but I never asked. I didn't ask because I didn't really want to know. I was just glad to be out of that hell hole. I don't think I ever imagined my future to look anything like this."

"Curious. Very curious indeed. You still don't realize why he helped you seemingly out of the kindness of his heart. There was an ulterior motive. He targeted you, Lee, and he groomed you into a man who could one day challenge Kazuya's authority. He's always seen his real son as weak and his continued support of you was solely to test his son, to push his son to be even better than he was, and ultimately just to get on his last set of nerves. Heihachi saw competition as a necessity. Kazuya had turned his back on his father and he was simply getting back at him."

"No, you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know Heihachi very well at all—you're just some old man who is so far spouting out complete and utter nonsense."

"Oh, and you know Heihachi so well. What are his habits? What are his likes?—his dislikes? What's his favorite color? The truth is, you haven't been around the man long enough to learn anything worthwhile. He took you in alright, but I'm betting he hardly spent any time with you. I'm sure he had other pressing matters to attend to."

"Shut-up," Lee said deliberately slow in low tones, "I told you. You don't know anything."

"You don't need to defend him."

"I don't care what anyone thinks of him. I don't care about his motives. He _saved_ me. Who knew whether I would die the next day or not, whether I would find my next meal or not."

"I understand where you're coming from—

"You don't."

"But I do. I am glad for your fortune, but that shouldn't blind you from the truth."

"The fact that Kazuya killed him? Yes, I know that."

"No, the fact that Heihachi was a very sinister and conniving man."

"Yeah, well he's dead now. I thought we were here to talk about Kazuya."

"Yes, we are. I was getting to him, but there are a few things you need to know first. Kazuya is an easy man to dislike. I can see it in your eyes that you don't care for him, but all is not as it seems. One, Heihachi was the catalyst; two, Kazuya was exposed to something that he could never hope to control; three—and I know this is hard for you—you cannot blame him entirely for his behavior."

"I'm not sure how much more of this I want to hear."

"When Kazuya was just able to talk, Heihachi saw fit to toss him off of a high precipice all in the name of making him stronger."

"Well, he's still alive, so it must not have been that bad."

"He lost almost all of his blood—by all accounts he should have died."

Lee quieted down when he heard this and waited for the other to continue.

"Jinpachi for the longest time wondered how Kazuya could have survived such a fall. That he hadn't been crushed by gravity by hitting the bottom was nothing short of a miracle. That he had somehow gotten himself caught on one of the sharp rocks of the wall was highly improbable. He could not have climbed back up. At the velocity of which he was losing blood, he would not have the energy and there was no trail of blood that suggested as much. It wasn't until much later that Jinpachi even suspected that there was a more supernatural reason for all of this. Kazuya had survived that fall alright, but not without a deadly cost. Since that moment, Kazuya had ceased to be himself—at least not himself completely. He was inhabited by an evil spirit and has been fighting its control over him ever since. He's fighting a losing battle. Even you have to notice that something is wrong."

"Old man…Do you really have nothing better to do than come up with these stories? It's pretty well thought out. But Heihachi wouldn't just throw someone off a cliff. I've never heard of that before."

"Really? So Kazuya dislikes his father for no apparent reason. Didn't you ever wonder why he hated him so much?"

"No—well, maybe, but I never really asked."

"I'm telling you for a fact that that is the reason. Take it or leave it."

"And I suppose you'll tell me the same thing about that evil spirit, huh?"

"Exactly. But you don't have to take my word for it. Confront Kazuya with what I've told you—watch his reaction. Not many people know of all the things I'm telling you. Something like this begs to be swept under the rug. It sounds crazy just from me telling you about it—why would Kazuya ever announce such things to the entire world?"

"I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. You took the time to come all the way out here and waste your breath on this entirely made-up story. For that kind of effort, I may just play along. But I need more evidence than just your word."

"Well, you know what to do," Wang Jinrei said with a smile. "When you're satisfied, call me again. I'll need your help with what I plan to do."

So went the evening between Lee and Jinrei. They discussed other things besides, but soon they called it a night and went off to their respective homes.

/

Lee waited for the perfect opportunity. He waited for two days and then three days and then four until he realized that he was just stalling. How exactly was he going to go about this? Lee didn't want to admit this to himself, but he was intimidated by Kazuya. He could yell at him, sure, but that was when he was protected in his anger and strong emotion. He only spoke to Kazuya when he felt compelled to, when it was of complete necessity not when he was trying to test a theory which could more than likely be wrong. Where could he even begin?

On the seventh day of procrastination, Lee finally worked up the nerves. However, it might have been better if he had done it yesterday—at least the other had been in a marginally better mood. Kazuya must not have liked what he was reading because he seemed to glare at it—any second now and the paper would burst into flames.

Instead of slamming the broom to the floor, Lee leaned it against a nearby wall and then approached the great desk that sat in the far reaches of the room.

"Kazuya, something has come to my attention."

Lee was hoping that the other wouldn't look up too quickly so that he could be spared his searing gaze, but he was not that lucky.

"What is it," Kazuya demanded from the other.

"Oh…um, nevermind—let me just get back to cleaning your office…"

"You interrupted me for nothing?" Kazuya questioned to Lee's turning form.

"I, well, it was nothing really. Now that I think about it, you wouldn't really care anyways," Lee explained turning his head back to the other.

"If this is about a promotion, the answer remains the same," Kazuya said standing up.

Lee backed up a little. It was then that he noticed that the other was an entire inch taller than him. "Of course."

"You just keep doing what you do best," Kazuya said as he was coming from around the large desk.

Lee wondered if the other was advancing upon him, but instead Kazuya was headed for the door on the other end of the room.

"Where are you…" Lee started to say, but then thought better of it—he would never get a straight answer.

It wasn't often that Kazuya would leave the room when he was there and each time Lee wondered where he could possibly be going, but then he would continue on with his work in peace. When Kazuya wasn't there as he was cleaning the floor, it was a far more tolerable job. In fact, it was somehow calming. It took no brain at all just to wipe the floor down and if he did it well enough, the floor would be gleaming with cleanliness—a fact that was more satisfying than Lee would like to admit.

"Um…Lee?" called a small voice from the open doorway.

Lee looked up wearily. He had heard that voice before—Kiki. She worked here and whenever Kazuya was nowhere near she would show up. It was obvious that she had a thing for him, but Lee pretended not to notice.

"Oh, you're still here," Kiki exclaimed as she came in completely through the door and advanced upon Lee as a hawk would its prey.

Before Lee knew it, he was caught up in her embrace and he spent half a minute trying to peel her off again.

"Yes, I am as a matter of fact. I was just leaving."

"What? So soon?" Kiki said flabbergasted.

"I finished early—I guess I work better when there isn't someone constantly glaring at me."

"Oh, you mean, Mr. Mishima. He's in a really bad mood today—it's a good thing you didn't have to deal with him today."

"I guess he is in a bad mood. Did anything happen?"

Kiki shrugged, "I have no idea, but then no one is ever sure of what sets him off."

"Do you know where he goes at a time like this?"

"Well my friend, she caught him on the roof one time, maybe that's where he went off to. But trust me, you don't want to go follow him if you know what's good for you."

"I understand, Kiki, thanks."

"Anytime. Seriously, anytime."

"Alright, Kiki. I need to head out now."

"So soon?"

"Now, we've been over this before. I'm done with my work for the day."

It was hard enough just to escape Kiki's pressing claws, but he managed to do it eventually. This time, Lee was not going home. He went in search of Kazuya who was supposedly on the roof. Lee took a deep breath before going there. Last time he had completely lost his nerves. This time he was hoping that he could keep his wits about him and finally confront the man. Finally he opened the door and was presented with a barren landscape. There was no Kazuya or anyone. With a sigh, he turned and closed the door. He had gotten all worked up for nothing. He was more upset than happy surprisingly. Tomorrow he'd have to go through the whole ordeal again.

He walked down the hall slightly dejected. The nearest elevator was two halls away so he didn't have long until he'd be at the parking lot and in his car headed home. He was thinking about all these things when he was stopped abruptly in the hallway.

"You've finished early—if only you could always be that efficient," said Kazuya's gruff voice from behind Lee.

A sudden jolt of shock ran through him before he actually turned towards the new voice. "Where have you been?"

It perhaps wasn't the best thing Lee could have asked of Kazuya, but it was the first question that came to his head and he couldn't seem to think of a better one or any way to reword it to make it sound far less intrusive.

"You know, that kind of question sounds odd coming from a man in your shoes."

"Yes, I know, I'm your subordinate—you never cease to remind me of that fact."

"Well, if I didn't, you'd forget all about it—I want it to stay fresh in your mind."

Frankly, Lee couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth—he wasn't sure how much more he could take of the other without completely losing his temper.

"There was a question I wanted to ask you in private."

"Just ask it," Kazuya said in a tone that suggested that he didn't have much patience at the moment.

Lee took a deep breath. He had written the question down and repeated it to himself over and over again. Now all he had to do is say it no matter how strange it sounded, for better or worse, now was the time to get it all over with. "Your father wasn't what he seemed, was he? After throwing you off that cliff when you were younger, I guess you had a right to dislike him. Wasn't it that event that changed the course of your life forever? Hasn't it molded you into the man that you are today?"

"You wanted one question and you gave me three," Kazuya replied with a frown—he hadn't even skipped a beat.

Lee had watched the other's face intently the entire time, but nothing remotely out of the ordinary had happened there. No shock, no nothing, just more of the usual.

"I'm sorry—it was one question, but I suppose I expounded on it a little—"

"Odd questions. How would you have me answer? You've accused my father of something he hasn't done and how this imaginary event must have affected me—I'd say you're dangerously close to slander."

"Nothing so far as that, sir. It was just brought to my attention and I just wanted to reassure myself that it wasn't true."

"Brought to your attention? Who was it that told you to ask?"

"I don't think it matters in any case—I'm convinced that he was completely lying to me."

"Yes, but I'd rather not have this person continually dirtying my father's name—tell me who is it?"

There was certain earnestness in Kazuya's tone that Lee hadn't heard there before. There was no telling what he would do to Wang Jinrei once he knew the person who had set him up to this. As much as Lee didn't like being lied to or being played a fool, no one deserved the kind of punishment that Lee suspected Kazuya was capable of dealing out. He'd have to come up with a convenient excuse for Jinrei.

"I'm sorry, I would tell you, but I don't know his name—I only met him at a bar."

A flicker of interest crossed his eyes, but it was gone the second it appeared. "You would trust some arbitrary person at a bar. I suppose that's how you spend your free time whenever you can find it."

Lee was hoping he could escape this conversation without having to see one of his grins up close—that was not the case. He just wanted to go home and bash something in for entire hour; that was the only remedy. Did Kazuya know how much he irritated him? Was he just doing it on purpose? Lee wouldn't put it past him—that evil bastard. Some people were just born to be evil, Lee thought. There was no fanciful explanation for any of it; he was just wired to be that way. Wasn't there always supposed to be a bad guy anyways?

"I think I'll take my leave now," Lee said as politely as he could muster at that moment.

"You do that."

Lee twirled on his feet and went off in the direction he had been going before. He couldn't wait until he could make a turn into another hall. Lee didn't dare look back, but he could certainly feel the eyes of Kazuya on his back the entire time, boring holes into his very clothes. When he turned the corner, he let out a sigh of relief. He found it odd that he would be breathing so hard just from a brief stroll down a hall, but then he realized that he must have been holding his breath the whole time. Just in case he was being followed, he didn't stop walking until he was outside again. For some reason, it had become like an oven in that accursed building. He was grateful that he had finished his work ahead of schedule—there was no way, he was sure, that he could have stayed there a second longer.

_That demon_ Lee spat under his breath before getting into his car and leaving for the day.


	2. A Change of Heart

Chapter 2: A Change of Heart

Lee's inquiries had come to naught just as he thought it might. In fact, he felt silly having even followed up with what Jinrei had told him. He wanted to find Jinrei once again, but he never ran back into him. Lee called him later on, but he could only leave a message since the phone was never answered.

Lee came back into work at the same time as always. He had come to accept his duty as janitor working in the middle of the day for everyone to see. People knew him by now; people knew of his plight and probably pitied him, but Lee paid them no mind. For the time being, this was what he would do until he could think of something better to replace it.

There was always a certain dread about going into Kazuya's office. The large mahogany door was never open or even seemed as if anyone resided within it. He would slowly open the door dragging his cart along with him and there would always be eyes glowering at him from the darkness beyond. However, this day was different. This time when he stepped in, there were no eyes to greet him. Lee noticed the difference immediately. He had barely pulled his cart in when he looked towards the back searching out the one he knew would be there. Lee wasn't entirely sure if the other was there or not. He crept closer and closer to Kazuya's desk until he could make out his form. It was then that he noticed his soft snores. Sleeping on the job—that was an oddity, in fact an impossibility.

"Kazuya?" Lee said speaking up, "Um…Kazuya." He hesitated for a moment and then shook him. "Kazu But then he stopped himself. Why was he trying to wake him anyways? It was probably better this way. Lee looked down when the other made a few motions and mumbled something unintelligible. With a sigh, Lee continued on with his business as quickly as he could. Every five minutes, he kept looking back at Kazuya, but the entire time his position never changed. It must've been a slow workday. Lee finished with the room and left it to finish up his rounds for the day. He worked well into the night. He was in charge of several floors after all. After the last room, with curiosity piqued, he went back briefly to Kazuya's room to see if he was still there. Often, Lee would be the last person left in the building before leaving, however this wasn't the case for today.

There was Kazuya still asleep as if he hadn't moved all day perhaps he hadn't. The fact bothered Lee enough to try and wake him—he would hate to have to deal with a grouchy Kazuya after somehow forgetting that one needed to go home after work. He shook him gently and then a little harder. That was all it took for him to get a response back.

"It's getting rather late, Kazuya."

"Huh…Lee?"

Lee waited for Kazuya's eyes to meet his so that he could confirm his identification. Lee was surprised of what he saw there in Kazuya's eyes—complete and utter disorientation. It was then that Lee realized that he _had_ been asleep this whole time. Lee watched as the other pulled away from the desk and looked back to the large window that spanned the entire wall space behind him.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven, sir."

Lee came from behind his desk. He felt uncomfortable there as if he was intruding.

"Well, what are you doing here at this late hour?" Kazuya asked the other.

Lee looked back at him briefly, "My job, of course. I'm usually the last one here, the last one to close everything up."

"That's unfortunate. What do you usually do after work?"

"I go home," Lee said as he turned towards the door once again, "That's all I have time for really."

Kazuya stood up then and stretched a little. "That's also unfortunate. Didn't you want to go somewhere else besides that?"

"I really don't have any plans."

"That's fine. There's a restaurant that I wanted to go to, but not by myself."

This was beginning to sound like an invitation to go someplace. "Um, I don't know about…"

"I'll pay."

"Listen, I have an early start tomorrow and…"

"Then take a few days off."

"What?" Lee asked caught off guard.

"Take a few days off," Kazuya repeated, "You work hard every day without fail—take a few days off; you deserve it."

Lee was practically speechless by what Kazuya had said. If he was thinking at all at that moment, he might have asked for a promotion as well.

"Now you have no more excuses. Besides, I doubt you've eaten anything as of late."

"No, I guess not," Lee replied guardedly. Lee no longer knew what to make of the other—it was like he was a different person altogether.

"Although, it'd be better if you did the driving. I'll tell you where to go."

"Alright," Lee said finally, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but if you're paying…"

Lee wondered what he had gotten himself into. There was Kazuya walking beside him as if there was nothing strange about this situation. Kazuya never "hung out" with anyone. It was a fact that he had no friends whatsoever. That he seemed to be reaching out to him made Lee quite weary—there was some dark plan involved here, Lee was certain. None of his immediate instincts, however, warned him of anything wrong. His eyes were no longer glowering or seething with perpetual anger. In fact, his entire tone had changed drastically. Whatever had happened, Lee suspected that it had something to do with the fact that Kazuya had spent the entire day sleeping. Maybe he was just bored out of his mind. Maybe he felt like turning a new leaf today. Or maybe Lee was asleep and he was making up this entire situation in some elaborate dream—Lee doubted that.

In the car, there wasn't a lot of conversation, but that was to be expected. Kazuya simply told the other where to go. Lee thought he would feel far more uncomfortable with the other sharing such a close space with him, but he felt nothing of the sort. He would glance over at Kazuya from time to time and often he would only be gazing out the window at the passing streetlights. In fact, Kazuya seemed almost harmless. He was calm, cool, and collective—a mere shadow of the indignant man Lee had come to expect. No, this was no longer his "boss", but someone else that had happened to possess him this night.

It was an upscale restaurant. A place Lee wouldn't even step into with the kind of money he was making at the moment. The menu alone felt too expensive for him to hold.

"Get anything you want," Kazuya said when he noticed the other's hesitation.

"I don't understand," Lee said putting the menu down on the table, "What is all this for? Did you want something? If that's all it is, just tell me already—you don't have to do all of this."

"I don't want anything; not from you at least."

"Then what is it?"

"Must there be an ulterior motive?"

"When it's you. I wasn't born yesterday."

"I can see that. You're so—what's the word?—tense. Relax, I'm just treating you to dinner. Is that so strange for a brother to do?"

"Brother?"

"That is what you are, right?"

"No, it's…not that. I've known you since you were a child and I don't think you've ever considered me as your brother. Remember, I was adopted—we're not really related. You've always said so."

"I say things out of anger sometimes, well, most of the time. Whatever my father's motive was for adopting you, for better or worse, you are my brother now."

"Alright, now I know there's something wrong here. I don't like it when people beat around the bush."

"Beating around the bush, huh? Why don't you just order something? I assure you, I'm not trying to do anything underhanded."

"Yes, I feel so reassured," Lee said without even trying to hide the suspicion from his voice. "I guess I'll start with some water—

"Water? You sure you don't want anything stronger?"

"I don't want to wound up owing you thousands of dollars."

"I won't ask you to pay me back. This is my treat—it really is no trouble to me."

Lee looked at him a minute longer. Finding nothing there in his eyes suggesting that he was lying, Lee finally picked up the menu and ordered what he wanted disregarding the prices altogether. As they waited for their orders to come in, Lee thought now was the time to bring up something. He had a rare opportunity, he knew. Something was very different about Kazuya, but he no longer felt like figuring out why. Whatever the reason, he could use it to his advantage.

"You look like you have something to say," Kazuya said to the other.

Lee contemplated on how he would say it without making it sound so hasty, but it was now or never, "Well, I was just wondering about getting a better position. You know, something besides being a janitor. Like you said, I do work hard and—

"Say no more. You want a promotion and I will give it to you. In fact, I was already thinking about that. After you take a few days off, starting when you get back—you can be my assistant."

"R-Really?"

"You sound so surprised. It was just a matter of time, wasn't it? I would hate for such talent to go to waste."

Lee was practically speechless. He hadn't seen any of this coming.

"Well?—no 'thank you'?" Kazuya asked the stupefied Lee.

"Sorry, I just don't know what to make of all this. Thank you. I don't need any time off, but thanks for the offer."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you came with me this evening. I know it was a strange request out-of-the blue."

Just then, the waitress came back with two wine bottles in a tub of ice along with two wine glasses. She set these items very neatly in front of them before bowing and leaving once again.

"You could say that again. Why the change of heart?"

"It isn't so much a change of heart rather…well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Lee said as he opened his bottle of wine almost second nature and poured a little in his cup.

Kazuya hesitated for a moment, but Lee was patient and said nothing at all. "Have you ever woken up in the morning regretting the life you've lived up until now?"

"Well, no."

"Probably not," Kazuya said with eyes looking towards the table now, "I have. Maybe it wasn't this morning, but it's the same situation. While I still had the ability to, I wanted to change that."

"You know this is beginning to sound like something serious. Wait a minute, don't tell me—you're going to die in a few days? Is it terminal cancer? That would explain the promotion and—

"No, nothing like that."

"Care to expound a little?"

"I'm not sure I can."

"What about…what I said yesterday?"

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah, when I said something about our father." Lee could tell immediately that it wasn't registering at all with Kazuya.

"Sorry, yesterday was…a bit of a blur for me. It probably has nothing to do with that anyways. Today was just different for me. I saw things differently. I saw things that were wrong and I wanted to fix it, but I can't fix everything; not by a longshot. This was the very least I could do at least for you."

Just then the food came in and was set neatly in front of them. Lee eyed the plate which his food was on—it had to be quite expensive perhaps even more than the suit that he had on.

"I sort of understand," Lee finally replied. This was, in fact, a lie. Kazuya seemed to be dancing around something and it was probably too embarrassing to say aloud. He did not pressure the other.

"Good."

There were other subjects brought up that night including about the restaurant itself and how ridiculously upscale it was. They talked on work briefly and then Lee found that he was talking a great deal about himself—his likes, his wants, his plans for the future. Quite frankly, Lee never thought he'd be so open with Kazuya, but he was inquisitive and a good listener at that. Lee didn't miss the fact that Kazuya hardly shared anything about himself and when he did, it was often cryptic and hard to understand. After a while, Lee knew that it was intentional. There was something that Kazuya was hiding, but Lee assumed that he had good reason to. This Kazuya just was so _amiable_—of course there was a good reason.

After their dinner, Lee took Kazuya back to the parking lot of the work building so that Kazuya could use his own car to get back home. They bade each other farewell and drove off into the distance.

/

AN: Another chapter done. Next up, Angel's POV.


	3. Angel's Plea

Chapter 3: Angel's Plea

"Devil, you foul beast—why do you continue to torture him? He does as you say now without much resistance and yet you cannot reward him for doing so?"

"I'd accuse you of not knowing who I am, but then you're an angel, you know full well. I don't need to explain myself to you."

Angel stood calmly beside Kazuya's bed as she spoke to Devil. Only she could see the pitiful beast of glowering red eyes and hunched shoulders. It could not stand on its own; it was irrevocably attached to Kazuya's soul. In a sense, Angel spoke to Kazuya—the part of him that often did not reach his conscious mind. Angel would speak to Kazuya physically and he would not recall any sort of conversation she had with Devil. She did not believe that he was wholly ignorant. Somewhere in some small place in his mind, he knew. She could not look into his dreams, but Devil could. He slept fitfully each night and all that Angel could do was stand by and watch. She could plead with Devil all she wanted, but it would not listen to her.

She had been sent to help and to observe; she found the observing part to be far easier than the former. Watching someone descend into darkness, could make even the most stoic angel despondent. She spoke to him but he no longer listened. She tried to abate Devil's hold on him, but it was ephemeral at best. It was akin to shining a flashlight in someone's face and snatching it away quickly before one's eyes adjusted. A day maybe two days would past and she would witness a dramatic change in Kazuya's behavior. He was suddenly honest, noble, responsible, and kindhearted. Then Devil would reawaken as it always did—the flashlight snatched away—and Kazuya would become short-tempered, guileful, and heartless. The true Kazuya was neither one of these extremes. Like most humans, he was somewhere in between. Short-tempered, yes, but somehow noble and kind in his own way. Guileful when the end justified the means and heartless to any who managed to piss him off that badly. At the same time, he was forgiving and trusting, but only to a select few who had showed him kindness. Angel could not return him to his original state and Devil was constantly enhancing his faults and overshadowing his strengths.

Angel feared that all she had managed to do was further disrupt his psyche at least the part of him which was still miraculously sane. Humans were communal creatures, some required less interaction with others, some needed more. Whichever was the case for Kazuya, because he habitually drove away people with his knack for being a complete ass, he was very isolated. Angel suspected that he wanted it that way not because he was simply a loner or particularly liked being at a distance from others, but because he was embarrassed. He no longer understood himself. He would remember some days and completely forget others. Sometimes he could look in a mirror and not know the person staring back at him. He felt his control slipping, Angel suspected, and he could not trust himself to be around others, not on a daily basis.

Sometimes he could not follow through on his resolve to remove himself from other people's lives. Every blue moon, tiring of all the rules he had set upon himself, he'd break every single one of them like yesterday. Angel watched from afar as Kazuya invited Lee to a restaurant. He had spent the better part of the day resting. That he would do such a thing did not surprise her since he often slept poorly each night. It was one of the many tricks Devil employed to make him more compliant, but that night—well rested and with a surprising awareness of himself—Lee had been witness to an incident that would not likely reoccur any time soon. Angel knew that it could not last long and watched with sad eyes as Devil regained its usual dominance over him the very next morning. It did not end very pretty.

She had wanted to help him then to an astonishing degree. She did not wish to see all the good that Kazuya had managed to do last night unravel, but she could do nothing—Devil's hold was too great. The hurt on Lee's face that day was an expression that she had not seen in a long time. That bridge was burned forever. Whatever brotherly relationship might have flourished between them was dead. Kazuya did not fire him rather he belittled Lee to such a degree that the janitorial position seemed far more pleasing despite the boost in pay.

That had been the last straw. Angel could no longer just stand there. She had to do something and more than what she was doing now. Kazuya was trapped in his own mind and daily lost a little more of himself. There was only one person she knew could help him—she went to this person now.

/

Jun stood silently in her kitchen chopping away at green peppers and onions. A pan sizzled intently on the stove as every few minutes she tossed in another hand of chopped vegetables. She stirred the items in the Wok thoroughly so that everything could share equally in the flavor. Her eyes were intently focused on her task and there was little evidence that she could be thinking about anything besides cooking at the moment.

"Jun," Angel spoke softly so as not to startle her.

Jun looked up when she thought she heard something. She looked to her right where the entrance to the kitchen was, but saw nothing. The sizzling Wok beckoned her again and she continued to stir.

"Jun Kazama," Angel spoke this time louder.

She jumped a little this time when she heard it. The voice was too obvious to simply ignore and she felt that she had heard that voice at another time in her life, but she could not place where. Before her food burned, she took out a bowl from the cabinet and quickly poured the contents of the hot pan in. Finally, she turned to the entrance.

"Who's there?"

"I cannot show myself. My appearance is not for your eyes."

Jun walked towards the entrance hoping that she might catch a glimpse of the person who spoke to her, but as her eyes searched the room beyond—the living room—she found nothing.

"I don't understand. Who are you?"

"Have you forgotten me already?"

"Have I seen you before?"

"You have spoken to me before. That time when you wanted to find Kazuya and you could not do so on your own volition."

A look of realization crossed her face, "You're…that spirit. Why are you here? Is it something to do with Kazuya?"

"Yes. There is something I must tell you first. I was sent here to observe Kazuya's actions and to help in a limited capacity."

"You're a guardian angel then. You've been with him this whole time?" Jun asked in wonderment, "You've done a horrible job, you know."

"I wasn't with him the whole time only recently."

Jun sighed and then made her way slowly to the couch nearest to her. "You haven't answered my question, why are you here?"

"You're concerned with his welfare, aren't you? I'm offering you a chance to help him."

"Does he know that you're doing this?"

"No, but that is irrelevant."

"Then I decline. I cannot help someone who no longer wants my help."

"Jun—

"No," she said shaking her head. "How long has it been since he's even picked up a phone to call me?" she asked rhetorically, "I tried to call him and his number is disconnected. He doesn't want anything to do with me. That has become very clear to me. Guardian angel, I've long since ceased concerning myself with his problems. His problems are just that—his. I understand your position, but you have come to the wrong place."

"No I have not. This is the only place I can go."

"Are you really that desperate, spirit?"

"Listen to me. I once told you that you must figure out on your own Kazuya's secret. I amend that now. If it will persuade you to my cause, then I will simply tell you. Are you interested?"

"No, I'm not. I'm not that girl anymore, spirit. That day, I was being foolish. I was pining for something that no longer existed. I had to do so much just to see him again and when I did, it wasn't what I expected. He wasn't overjoyed to see me—he was different. He distinctively put himself at a distance. That should tell a girl something, right? Maybe I've been reading this all wrong from the very beginning. Maybe he's never liked me at all and he's just never got around to telling me that."

"Jun, you don't really believe that."

"Oh and you're going to tell me something different? If Kazuya came through that door today, and apologized for his idiocy and insensitivity—I might consider helping him out with whatever it is that is bothering him. But it's just you—some faceless voice who could easily be a hallucination. How can I trust you? How can I go on clinging to childish dreams of love?"

"I'm not one for begging, human. If you do not want to aid me, then I am through here. It seems you have changed—I hope you do not regret your decision later."

Jun was not able to see when Angel left, but she felt when her presence was not there. She sat there on the couch for a few more minutes in thoughtful silence before returning to her meal. She hoped as well that she had not made the wrong decision. She lived alone in a small apartment near her jobsite. She had only just begun her career as an officer at WWWC, a wildlife organization. Work was often daunting and many times she found it to be far more dangerous than she initially thought. At times, she wondered why she had not simply become a veterinarian. She had been well on her way to becoming one back in college. If it hadn't been for a guest speaker that she had been forced to attend due to her major, she might not have considered this line of work at all. She remembered as the man from the wildlife organization spoke enthusiastically about being an officer. He spoke of the kind of impact that he was given the opportunity to make upon the world. By protecting the wildlife and making sure that their numbers did not dwindle, one was making sure that fragile ecosystems were not failing and ultimately leaving the Earth bereft of all her nutrients—uninhabitable for any living creature to live. The purpose of the officer mostly coincided with hers of being a veterinarian and it sounded far more exciting. She wouldn't simply be working with tamed animals and their owners—she would be working with wild animals. She could have continued her pursuit as a veterinarian, but as she became a junior in college, she realized that her heart was no longer in it. Her love for animals had not faded, it was simply the kind of classes that she had to attend were dry and scientific—that was not how she wanted to live out her life. She wanted to be in the forefront making a visible difference. There were humans out there who damaged and violated nature on a daily basis for no better reason than greed. How could she do anything while stuck in a monotonous job of seeing to pets? Pets had owners to protect them, but the wildlife was not afforded these luxuries and was subject to constant perversions and blatant ignorance by humans.

This was where she felt happiest, doing exactly what she loved. Dangers aside, she enjoyed coming into work. Besides, she was no stranger to combat. When she first knew that she would be changing her field of work, she dropped out of college and went back home to her mom. There, she began training with her mom as she had done all those years ago. She had thought the time she had spent at the dojo to be a complete waste when she could not share the skills she had learned with Kazuya, but she no longer did things because Kazuya might like it. Then, as she was dusting off her rusty technique, she did so because she truly wanted to be able to protect herself. She could be of no help to anybody at WWWC if she could not follow through on her assignments.

She had started from the bottom and worked her way up. Hard work was recognized at WWWC. They knew of her passion and soon she found herself taking up the high-risk assignments that no one else would touch. She had buried herself in her work because she knew that without it, her life would be empty and void.

/

AN: Yes, another update. I'm glad you've enjoyed seeing Kazuya's soft side in the last chapter, but it won't last for long :). And, yes, I am on summer break. So more updates! Stay tuned for another one within the next five days.


	4. Proof

Chapter 4: Proof

Lee sat down an hour after his designated lunch time mainly because he had wanted to finish everything that Kazuya had ordered him to do before he heard any complaints from him. Everyone else had already gone back to work, but it didn't matter much to Lee. He hardly felt like talking much to anyone and he knew that he couldn't hold much of a pleasant conversation without snapping someone's head off—that was how irritated he was at the moment. Even his food seemed unappetizing.

"That bastard," Lee said under his breath.

Why had he even begun to think anything different about him? It had been a ploy. He ignored his gut feelings and now look where it had gotten him. Being a janitor had at least been tolerable. Now he was in a constant state of a sour mood and he often wondered every morning why he did not quit. Why did he willingly put himself through this sort of torture almost every single day? He took one bite of his food and then knew that he could not finish it. He was in the process of standing up and throwing away the whole thing when he was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Young man," an old voice said from behind him.

With a look of surprise, Lee turned to him, "So it's you, old man. Where the hell have you been?"

Wang seemed unperturbed by the other's tone, "A man has to cover his own ass sometimes especially when dealing with Kazuya."

"You didn't trust me or something? Of course I wouldn't give Kazuya your name; I'm not quite so vindictive. "

"One can never be sure. So did you learn something of Kazuya?"

"Yes, I have."

"And," the old man said wanting the other to continue at once. "Do you believe me now?"

"There's…something wrong with him, sure, I'll give you that, but there's no reason to jump to those conclusions."

"How can I get you to understand?"

"Look, old man, it's called having a split personality. I ask him about things from past days and he cannot recall—I know he can't even when he tries to hide it by annoying me half the death. That night, that one night, I saw a glimpse of something else in Kazuya. It seemed genuine enough yet the very next day it didn't even seem like I was talking to the same person. He barely remembered that he had promoted me in the first place. If you say Kazuya is in serious need of a psychiatrist, then I'm completely with you, but all this other stuff…is just too farfetched. Where's the proof?"

"It's hard to come up with proof for you. You're just going to have to believe me."

"You expect me to take you at your word?"

"I had not counted on you being _this_ naïve."

Lee's eyebrows fell as he heard this. "You'll have to find some other chump."

"How long are you going to keep this up? Well, nevermind, you work for him, eventually you'll figure things out. When you do, you know how to contact me. The sooner you can lend me your help, the better."

"You sound so certain."

"It's only a matter of time," Wang replied folding his arms behind himself. "I know I've chosen the right person."

Lee might have said something else, but he realized that it was pointless. The old man was set in his ways and there was no amount of reasoning that could convince him of some alternative explanation. He watched as Wang shuffled off to the nearest door. Lee again wondered if he actually worked here. He hadn't seen him doing any actual work and even now he didn't seem to be in any rush. Lee picked up his food and threw it away.

He returned to his post twenty-six floors up where Kazuya's office was. Kazuya was ready for him as usual. There would always be work for him, Lee knew. He learned early that if he made no comments, Kazuya would send him on his way quickly. This was the technique he employed now. He spent fifteen minutes tops in that office and then he was free. All and all, he was let off pretty easy. He was given so many assignments that he would not have to come in contact with Kazuya for the rest of the day. Lee often wondered how Kazuya had been able to do everything without any help. Certainly, there would have been a lot of things he would have been forced to organize or else not get very much done in a timely manner. Even now, as he skimmed over the schedule that Kazuya had more or less tossed at him as if it were an afterthought, Lee could tell that the schedule was so detailed that a lot of careful planning must have been put into it. He wondered what Kazuya would be doing all day, but then put such thoughts to the back of his mind as the second half of the day was underway.

/

It was night before Lee decided that he had put in enough extra hours. Starting a new project was always time-consuming in its early stages and he had been responsible for overseeing three of them. He wasn't entirely certain with the specifics, but they did not always seem completely legit. But certainly, Kazuya wouldn't be idiotic enough to involve the corporation in shady businesses. He did not question, he simply did. That was all Kazuya cared to hear about if he had anything to say to him. Lee was hoping he could catch him before he left so that he could debrief him on the situation. Often, it was better to keep him informed rather than have him assume failure—it meant less hassle later. Unfortunately, as Lee made his way to Kazuya's office, he was no longer there. At least the door was locked. In one last attempt to find him, he tried the roof just as Kiki had suggested. He hadn't really expected him to be there, but when he arrived it was a different story.

Lee closed the door behind himself. He was sure that he made enough noise to make his presence known, but Kazuya never did look back to acknowledge him. Lee stopped a few inches behind the other so that he wouldn't be standing side by side and could keep a respectable distance.

He assumed the other had heard him and plowed away on his debriefing. "Everything seems to be going quite smoothly. Kyoshi was successfully bought out—I think we gave them a fair enough deal especially considering the corner they were pushed into. As for—

"That's enough," Kazuya said abruptly before the other could go into any more details, "If you say everything is going smoothly, then it is."

"But, sir, don't you want to know the specifics? At least, how everything turned out?"

"It's unnecessary. For as long as you've worked for me, you've proven yourself capable. Why continue to insult you by demanding so many details? I think some trust should be awarded."

The gale force was much higher at their position. Much of it whipped Lee's hair in the most awkward positions and he found himself constantly pulling it out of his eyes and mouth as he spoke. Of course, Kazuya did not have such problems—his hair was only a little unkempt in the front, only a few strands out of place, but that was all. Lee wondered if he was hearing the other right and immediately he became weary. It was an odd discovery, but Lee realized that he felt far more comfortable around the rude, insensitive Kazuya who was by far easier to understand.

"You're not going to invite me to a restaurant again, are you?" Lee asked the other in a slightly joking voice.

"Again? I'd never do such a thing in the first place."

"But you did, sir, some months before."

"That must have been when I promoted you. I understand now."

Lee was only a little confused, "What's there to understand?"

"Nevermind, it doesn't concern you."

Lee might have taken his leave right then, but the conversation he had with Wang seemed to ring loudly in his mind then. He knew that if there was something he wanted to ask Kazuya, this would be the only time he might be given a straight answer. However, the only thing he found himself doing was standing there mutely, the words once again stuck in his throat. It certainly wasn't the kind of thing he would ask someone he wasn't completely familiar with. They were by no means friends, but Lee suspected that he was the only person that even came close.

"Lee," Kazuya began before the other could manage to say something, "do you ever suspect that all is not as it seems? You work for me and you are the only person who has. None came before you. My grandfather, when he worked here, had dozens of assistants and he introduced me to every single one of them. They've long since been fired after my father took over. However, it was my grandfather who taught me all that I needed to know to run such a corporation. When he died, I knew that he wanted me to succeed him, to follow in his footsteps. I have done neither. You should complain more than you do. I have not seen fit to hire more people and so you are often left with the shorter end of the stick with a far heavier workload than all other employees."

Had he just admitted to overworking him, Lee thought incredulously to himself. He thought he'd never hear such words from Kazuya yet there it was. "I don't mind," Lee finally responded, "I know it is a position that was pretty unlikely to attain since you don't normally keep assistants."

"Spare me, for once, Lee. No one would subject themselves to such abuse if there wasn't something in it for them. Should something happen to me, you're in the prime position to take my place. You being my only assistant of equal partnership, there would be little dispute in who should take over. I suspect that was why I promoted you in the first place."

"It isn't likely anything should happen to you, right? Like you said, you're here because your grandfather wanted you to. You want to honor his request."

"You sincerely believe nothing is going to happen to me. You don't suspect anything from the last few assignments I've given you, not even from the ones a couple months ago?"

"Should I?" Lee asked cautiously.

"You should stop being so blind. I can hardly remember what happens from day to day. If I did not write everything down and leave myself thorough explanations, I'd be at a complete loss. Do you think such a person is fit to be in my position?"

"Have you seen anyone about that?"

"About what?"

"About your memory lapses. Maybe you could…get some help."

"Like a psychiatrist?"

"Well, sir…I was just…It doesn't have to be a…"

"So you think I'm crazy."

"No, sir, of course not."

"Maybe I am. But no one could help me anyway."

"Is it because…" then Lee licked his now chapped lips in apparent nervousness, "of some external evil?"

Kazuya did not respond for the longest time. It almost seemed as if he had forgotten he was even there.

"You should go," Kazuya finally said. "It isn't safe here. Don't you have some other place to be besides being at work at all hours of the night?"

"I think I told you before, outside of work, all I do is go home and prepare for the next day."

"Then do that now," Kazuya replied in his characteristic rough tone.

It seemed his good mood did not last as long as it had last time. Lee could sense that. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. Kazuya still hadn't so much as turned to him the entire time. He stood like a statue in his one position with his hands in his pant pockets. Only the wind gusts gave him any movement at all.

"Sir, is everything alright?"

"I wish that it was."

"Maybe you should go home as well. It is getting pretty late."

"After all that I put you through, you want to concern yourself with me. You are far too nice."

"Well, it is good practice to be concerned with one's boss."

"Go, Lee," Kazuya said with a hint of exasperation.

"Alright," Lee replied. "I just want you to know—your secret is safe with me."

Lee waited for the other to dispute him, to at least inquire what secret he was keeping safe, but none of these things happened. On Kazuya's part, the only thing he did was afford him a backwards glance, but that told Lee everything. It had been a knowing look as if to say "yeah, I know". Kazuya hadn't verbally admitted to anything, but Lee knew then that Wang had been right. Lee wasn't entirely sure on the specifics, but there was certainly a secret and Kazuya certainly didn't want to admit such things in public.

When Lee stepped inside again and closed the door, he felt strong gusts of wind pound against the door. Concerned, Lee with a bit of effort opened the door once again to see if Kazuya remained unharmed, but he was nowhere to be found.

/

AN: Say what, another chapter? That's right. Let's hope I can keep up with such a pace for a little while. So Lee _finally_ figures out that all is not right, that perhaps there is some truth to Wang's crazy ramblings. But what will he do about it, if anything? And on another subject that readers may or may not be dying for me to get to, how in the world will Kazuya ever cross paths with Jun again? Stay tuned. Next up, Kazuya's POV for those who are tired of getting information about Kazuya through other people's experiences. And, yes, I will be taking a closer look at Kazuya's mental state.


	5. Kazuya's Perception

Chapter 5: Kazuya's Perception

His world was no longer quiet. He could find no peace whether he was awake or asleep. Always he would hear Devil whispering in his ear, attached to him in a way that was far too personal. Out of common practice, he still pretended to ignore it, but he knew that it was not possible. Devil's presence had intensified and Kazuya did not know how to lessen it. Devil would not be argued with, not anymore. While before he had been able to have conscious conversations with Devil, now he did not seem capable of doing so any longer. There were conversations, but he was not aware of them. Some part of him conversed at great lengths with Devil and acquiesced to everything that Devil wanted—if only he knew which part so that he could tell Devil to suck it.

Days passed without his knowledge. Try as he might, he did not always know what he was spending his time doing. Things were deliberately being kept from him, he knew. There was a lock somewhere, places of his mind that he could not access. Every now and then, he would catch a glimpse of the unknown. Just from those lapses, however, Kazuya was quite horrified. He was capable of doing nearly anything, killing being the least of his problems. Such knowledge was made worse when Kazuya realized that he did not have the means of righting what was wrong nor did he always feel up to the task of owning up to something which he, in all reality, had not really done. It was his hands and his mouth, but it was not _him_.

He was just barely holding on and he did not know what he was holding on to. Bits of life flashed before his eyes, but more often he would be presented with nothing. Chunks of time would be missing on such a regular basis that trying to understand everything became futile. He was often stranded on a little island and only be spoon fed certain events of his life if anything at all. He'd cry out to Devil and it would not respond coherently. He'd cry out for Angel, but her response could not reach him.

No one could help him; he would end up telling himself after another confusing jumble of a day occurred. This was what he had spent the majority of his childhood fearing, the moment when he could no longer fight back, the moment when he stopped being himself forever. It was something worse than death. If he was completely ignorant then he might have been blissful. Devil made sure that he at least knew in a broad sense what was happening.

Sometimes he'd find himself completely awake. It was no easy endeavor getting to that point. For hours, days, even months, his eyes would be closed, glued shut if you will. At first, he did not understand why it had become so difficult to awaken, but he realized something after many failed attempts. "He" was no longer conscious. Someone, no, some_thing_ else was in control. He was not merely trying to wake up; he was trying to regain control of his own body. How had it slipped away from him so easily in the first place? What had he done to allow Devil so much leeway? He could not immediately answer those questions, but he continued his struggle. By sheer will alone, he was able to gaze upon the world as he had usually done for the majority of his life. He'd open his eyes and not know where exactly he was. After long periods of darkness, he would be completely disoriented as he used eyes that he thought had long since been closed. No, not his physical eyes—those worked perfectly—but the ones that had been closed by Devil, those were in disuse. Sometimes, he'd find himself in meetings, or walking across streets, or sometimes he'd be in the middle of a phone call. At odd moments, he'd be awake again, but only for a short while. Devil would eventually make its presence known with never a word. Devil would stuff him back into whatever dark corner he'd clawed himself away from and he'd be back to square one.

This sort of routine continued in this way for quite some time until Devil decided it'd do something different. In a flash, Kazuya felt his lost control return to him all at once and this time he had been standing in his own bathroom at the time. There was a catch, he was certain and without being told he knew what that was. He was to obey everything that Devil wanted him to do or be shoved back into darkness. After being there for so long, after struggling to grab hold of what sanity he could for what felt like months, the thought alone was enough to subdue him into grudging submission. After not having it for so long, control was something he cherished. That did not make what he was doing any easier to do. It was like having a gun pressed firmly to the back of his head. Every time he so much as said something contrary to what Devil wanted him to say, he'd hear the click of that same gun, readying itself. But there were many more times that Kazuya blatantly ignored Devil to a certain extent and still he remained in control. The fear was still there, but he knew then that he had been afforded some leeway. Kazuya knew that he shouldn't overstep his boundaries and he did not. Virtually, everything that Devil wanted was done without much fuss from Kazuya. There was a leash on his neck and the only thing Kazuya felt he could do at the moment was obey.

But he was tired—mentally and spiritually. He was much too weary to put up a real fight against Devil not the kind of fight he had once waged during his youth. He'd go out to the roof of the massive headquarters simply to be alone or as alone as he could be with the infernal Devil breathing heavily at his back. People knew to keep their distance. They knew that the roof was his. Everyone that is except Lee.

Lee. He was the last person Kazuya would want to rely on for help, but he was the only one there. The only one dumb or brave enough to work directly under him as if he enjoyed being ridiculed and belittled on a normal basis. Kazuya knew that he could not keep Devil at bay on his own; he was not too prideful to see that he needed help. Yet relaying such messages to Lee was difficult. Devil could see everything he did, it knew his thoughts, and saw his actions. Lee would just have to figure things out on his own. That night on the roof, Kazuya was sure that Lee must have understood something, but even then Kazuya was not sure if that was enough. When he felt Devil grabbing hold of him once again, Kazuya knew that that was the only chance he would be given. The one thing that Devil could not forgive was if he alerted someone else of his situation. Even it was vague at best, it was enough for Devil to want to regain control at once. Kazuya had felt such things occurring and had told Lee to leave for his own benefit. Just as Devil could read his thoughts, at certain points when Devil's thoughts were potent enough, Kazuya knew of Devil's intentions. He knew that Devil meant to kill Lee. Even as tired as he was, Kazuya could not let that happen no matter what. With strength he did not know he had, he allowed Lee enough time to make his leave and then as if the floodgates were let open, he lost consciousness completely and Devil took over once again. Devil's anger became so much that it could hardly contain itself. With a sharp cry to the skies which the wind carried off, it spread its wings and took off into the night.

There was no telling when Kazuya was able to assert what little control he had over his body, but time was something that Kazuya had stopped concerning himself with. A year could have passed and he would not have known the difference. He had no one to answer to anyways. No significant other who he had to recount events to, no boss where he had to explain his whereabouts. There was only himself he had to appease and Kazuya found that these days it was the simplest things that could accomplish this. Moments like this when he could look down at his own hands and know that they were his were enough. At some points, he could even form his own thoughts. There wasn't much to think about, however, besides remembering the past. There was no longer anything to look forward to. He was almost certain that it was important to have goals set out for oneself, or at least a vague plan of where one's life might go. Kazuya had none of these and he wondered how he could still function under such conditions. It was like being stranded in the middle of nowhere. No cars would ever come down the highway; the scene itself would never change. He was simply stagnant. He might as well have been a statue on a derelict building. He could not understand why he still fought so hard to remain a living, breathing creature capable of thoughts and dreams. There was no reward waiting for him. He was not trying to impress the next person. But somehow he had concluded long ago that he should fight no matter what—it was innately part of his nature to do so. To not fight meant that he no longer existed.

/

AN: Yes, yes, I know you are waiting patiently (or impatiently) for Jun's return. I'm getting to it, don't worry. Anyways, as always, stay tuned. Next chapter coming in a few days and possibly will be much longer than this one.


	6. Confront Him

Chapter 6: Confront Him

"You have a new assignment today, Ms. Kazama," spoke an important looking man with narrow eyeglasses matter-of-factly.

"I'm still working on the last two you gave me," Jun responded with arms crossed. It was common knowledge that she did not take very kindly to being overworked or being swamped with too many assignments to do all at once.

"Yes, I know," her boss replied exasperatedly, "I've given those assignments to my other officers who've been strangely idle for quite some time. Seems _someone_ is taking all the work for their own. I think your enthusiasm would be better suited for this one. I want you to focus exclusively on this—it is high profile."

Jun looked down at the desk she stood in front of as her boss—Mr. Waikato—pulled out a fairly thin manila folder filled with all the preliminary information she'd need to know in advance. From the looks of it, there wasn't a lot of information to go off of.

"This is what you specialize in, the cases that seem impossible."

"Catch the bad guy, huh," Jun said taking up the folder, "I'll see what I can do."

"Do your best."

Jun exited the office and returned to the main room where her desk was located. For the majority of the day, she mulled over all the details before finally coming up with a plan of action. The one thing she could be certain of was the fact that Tekken Zaibatsu was involved. She passed over the name Kazuya Mishima and grew silent. In the left corner of the page was a picture and Jun looked upon it for long minutes. She had a mental image of Kazuya in her mind and it did not match the photograph, but she could not bear to look at it any longer—she was beginning to see similarities. There was hardly any information about him. She could not be certain if the name was simply a coincidence or the person she was thinking about at the moment. She'd heard nothing from Kazuya in a very long time and she couldn't be certain where he was or how he was living his life. He hadn't attained any higher education as far as she knew. If anyone was going to be the owner of Tekken Zaibatsu, it would have been Lee. Not only that, but Kazuya wouldn't know the first thing about running a huge company such as that. Until she had further proof, she'd assume the Kazuya Mishima on record was different from the one she once knew. It was the only thing that made sense. It was the only thing she wanted to believe.

The best place to start her investigation would be the owner of the Tekken Zaibatsu. While she did not expect to get a lot of information from this source, she expected to obtain some kind of direction in her investigation. Clearly, animals were being smuggled illegally into the country. The hard part would be finding indisputable proof. A large corporation like the Tekken Zaibatsu that could throw around money as often as a human could breathe was sure to have covered its tracks. Evidence would be allusive, there was no doubt, but Jun was an expert in finding things where others could not. As the day came to a close, she wrote down the people she would interrogate and the places where she would go before moving in on her prime target, the Tekken Zaibatsu.

/

The next day was full of activity. There were many companies suspected in being involved with the scandal that she was only then beginning to uncover. She did not realize that it would be quite this difficult to gather information out of the people who should know much more than what they were divulging to her. Eventually, just walking through the front door of a business building made her weary. It would all start the same. She'd ask the front desk assistant if she could speak to the person in charge, wait for almost an hour, firmly demand that she be taken to the person in charge while also reminding the assistant that she had a scheduled meeting and finally after much misunderstanding, she'd finally be presented with what she wanted. She'd sit down with this person—usually a Japanese male in his middle ages or older—and begin, at first politely, but then with more fervor, with the interview. The interview itself never took very long. Most people in their position had long since learned the merits of keeping their mouths shut and waiting for their attorney, but Jun had expected this. She wrote down what she could from them including their expressions and movements and any other minute clues into their state of mind. On her own time, she'd be able to speculate and form a rather educated hypothesis. Then she'd continue from there. Usually, it would lead to her solving the case in perhaps a month, but sometimes she wound up being unable to solve anything. It wasn't often that this happen, but Jun was thoroughly aware that it was possible. This time, however, she felt that it wouldn't be the case. Everything was going as planned. Those who she interviewed were nervous. Someone would eventually crack under pressure especially with the right catalyst. She'd only have to find one thing on them and someone would spill the juice—this was what she suspected would happen.

She didn't get to the headquarters of the Tekken Zaibatsu until the second day. She'd get even less information from here, but that didn't matter. She had to at least follow through on the basic detective routine no matter what. When she stepped in through the revolving doors, she knew it was going to be a long wait. The front desk happened to be in the back of the lobby and no one seemed to even acknowledge the fact that she had a legitimate meeting with the person in charge. She'd get strange looks as if it was preposterous to meet personally with this person. Jun went through her normal routine of waiting and demanding, but even this didn't work out very nicely. Eventually, she was forced to take things into her own hands. Since she had blatantly been denied entrance to the head person in charge, she had grounds to arrest him. It was just the break she had been waiting for.

Jun stormed into Kazuya's office. She had had enough of the runaround downstairs in the lobby where she had politely asked to see Kazuya. There were associates after associates, clerks after clerks, secretaries after secretaries—this was the last straw. Using the elevator, she escaped all their attempts at thwarting her appearance before Kazuya. She basically wound up scouring the entire Mishima Zaibatsu central office building. On each floor, she looked into every room and quickly moved onto the next one until she finally progressed to the top floor. There were twenty-six floors in all.

Jun came upon a large set of mahogany doors with brass handles. If this _wasn't_ where the head of the corporation resided, she had no idea where that person would be hiding. Now that she was here, she felt a hint of fear, but not enough to dissuade her from what she would do next. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors with considerable force—it would add to her authority, she believed.

"Kazuya Mishima! You are under arrest!" Jun yelled out in a loud, clear voice.

Her voice hung in the air as it echoed through the poorly furnished room. With all its splendor of expensive carpet, decorated walls and other gilded decorative elements, a shiny, mahogany table and leather chair, it felt empty. The room was darkened. Even the lamps were turned off. The only thing that shed light to the dreary environment was the large window which currently had its blinds rolled all the way up. Even the pure rays of the sun couldn't penetrate the darkness of the office room. The large leather chair at the table was turned from her, but Jun's eyes immediately went to the shadowy figure which stood in the direct line of the sunrays. His back was to her and she saw one hand in his pants pocket. Though he stood in the bright light—he seemed shrouded in darkness.

"Did you hear me, mister? You are now under arrest," Jun repeated as she advanced on the motionless figure.

It was only when she was close enough that he turned his face to her. That single action froze Jun momentarily in her tracks.

"Kazuya…_that_ Kazuya. This can't be…"

"Jun Kazama, it has been a long time."

His voice no longer held any recognizable emotion and she began to wonder if she had made a rash conclusion about the man looking at her at this moment. She still couldn't clearly make out his face.

"Isn't it a shame that the only reason you'll choose to be in my company is to arrest me?"

"Kazuya…Just answer me this: Are you that same person who lived with Jinpachi who I came to visit almost every day? Are you…really him?"

"No. These days, I can hardly remember what my life was prior to killing my father. Whoever I was then no longer exists."

Jun watched as the other turned back to the large, bright window. "Wait…does that mean…?"

"Didn't you come to arrest me?"

"Ah…yes, but maybe I got my information mixed up. That sometimes happens, you know…and Kazuya Mishima is a rather common name…" Jun said feebly trying to come up with a plausible excuse.

"Oh, is it," Kazuya said with no interest. "Then perhaps I'm not the Kazuya you were looking for."

"Mr. Mishima, if it isn't too much trouble—"

"Why so formal? Why not call me as you always have?"

"Alright then…Kazuya, if it isn't too much trouble, could I see your face clearly. I was given a picture of the man who was in charge of the Tekken Zaibatsu. We can clear this up quickly if—"

The words caught in her throat when she felt Kazuya's hand take a hold of hers. His touch felt cold, but not in the physical sense…She felt herself being pulled forth into the light of the window.

"I apologize for the dimness of the room, but there's nothing that can be done for it. Only the light from the sun manages to creep in."

Jun was finally able to look directly at him and all she could do was stare. She knew it was rude, but she couldn't help herself and he didn't show even the slightest evidence of being uncomfortable. Now that she saw him up close and in real life, she realized that it was the same Kazuya from before…her Kazuya from childhood. The very person who she couldn't stop thinking about and at the same time, the very same person in the picture she held. How could she not have realized it before?

"Jun, you are just as naïve as I remembered you to be. What did you really plan to do today? You're in the perfect position to finish the job. Why is it that you stall?"

"I just…I just can't believe. _You_ are the one? _You _are that same monster who has been illegally smuggling endangered animals and experimenting on them"

"Yes, I am."

Jun was finding it hard to breathe just as it had been before all those years before. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"There are few things that I can recall from back then, but I do remember that time when you were about to go off to college for the first time. I had wanted to do something then, something that I hadn't had the courage to do until now."

She blushed when she felt his presence so close to hers and suddenly she found herself lip locked with the man she was supposed to be arresting at this point, the man who she had loved even before she knew what love really was. If she had been in her right mind, she might have pushed him off, thrust him to the floor, grabbed his arms and cuffed them, but her mind was no longer making logical sense.

When he kissed her, she didn't want him to stop. She responded quite vigorously much to Kazuya's surprise. He had been fully prepared for her denial; a crisp slap to the face. He knew this might be the last time he would find a chance like this and he had taken it. Whatever happened after made little difference to him.

As always, Devil's presence became nonexistent when Jun was around. While just moments before Kazuya could hear Devil's incessant whispering, now he could no longer hear its voice. Devil's voice was impossible to ignore; whatever it ordered him to do, he found himself doing with little restraint. He had lost more than just his father on that day—he had lost whatever it was that had given him some leverage over Devil's influence. Kazuya hadn't known what had kept Devil at bay for so long, but now he felt the palpable darkness driving further and further into his heart. As he found his lips passing over her tender skin, there was no darkness to speak of—and he didn't want that feeling to end.

"Kazuya," Jun breathed when she found herself pinned to the ground and lovely warmth spread throughout her body, "We…can't do this, you know…I have to…"

"Is that really what you want?" Kazuya asked quietly in her ear.

She felt him breathing next to her and she shook her head "no" despite herself, "That's…that's not fair."

"How is this unfair? Is this…excitement that I'm feeling one-sided?"

He had already deftly pulled her top off as he traveled down from her neck. When he got to her breast and began to peel off her bra, Jun's hand searched for the collar of his dress shirt and pulled him back upward to her face. One tug was all it took.

"Kazuya…we can't do this."

"Can't or won't?" Kazuya asked simply.

Jun looked away when he said this, "We could be making…the biggest mistake of our lives…"

"Jun, if I wanted, I could destroy you where you lay, but I choose not to. When you first walked in claiming that you would arrest me, I had already decided that it wouldn't happen. But Jun, if you give yourself to me, I will allow you to finish your job and I will not raise a hand against you."

"You forget, I can fight too—"

Jun gasped when she felt her hands pinned firmly to the ground. When she tried to move her hands, they were virtually immobile.

"There is a large unclosable gap in our strength difference. You won't win if you sincerely try to fight me. Rather, you have something else that no one has. Something that I want."

"Kazuya…I don't care how you want to look at this. If I wanted to fight you, I would have done so already. All your silly threats were unnecessary. If…if I really didn't like what was happening, I would have told you. How weak do you think I am? If I want to…I could just leave."

Jun tried again to move her hands to no avail.

"What can you do, Jun, if I don't allow it?"

"You want this to be consensual? Get a condom and I'll think about it."

She couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. She should have said something else, something more threatening or volatile. At the very least, she had to express how disgusted she was of this whole thing. She hated herself for wanting him this badly. The attraction was so strong that it seemed unheard of to let this moment be spoiled by something like pride. The only thing she had done was pretend as if she was unperturbed by all his talk about "strength" and "allowing her to live".

But he had made no physical advances towards her since she had pulled him back up. In fact, if she was judging from his body language alone (aside from his hands pinning down hers), he seemed rather hesitant. It belied his threats.

"Fine," he said finally.

And suddenly she felt her hands freed up as he left her to lie on the floor by herself. Jun took in a gulp of fresh air and lied in wait for his return. This was the perfect time to bolt, but she had no desire to do so. Her mind always returned to Kazuya and what was in store for them. Even if this was wrong on countless levels and this was far too rash to even consider, she would have no regrets. After this day, Jun felt that she could move on from this craziness, forgo any lingering feelings she had towards Kazuya, and get back to the life she had built for herself.

He took a long time coming back. Jun vaguely remembered the jingling of keys as Kazuya took his car keys off the table and put it into his pocket and as he carefully closed the door to his darkened office. He was really going to go out and buy them all for her sake. The darkness had been cold and unwelcoming upon bursting into the room unannounced, but now it was warm and comforting. She closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep before she heard the door opening once again.

She pretended to be unaware of his presence, unaware as she heard the packet being ripped open and the sound of stretching latex. A jolt of electricity went through her body when she felt his fingers pass between hers.

"Are you ready, Jun?" she heard his voice rumble in her ear.

She turned her face towards his and looked into his brown eyes. She closed her eyes and then nodded.

/

When Kazuya woke up the next day, he watched a blurry image of Jun slipping her clothes back on again.

"Are you leaving?" Kazuya asked the other.

"I held my side of the deal," she said in a plain voice.

"Was that all it was then, a deal? There was…nothing else?"

Jun looked back at the other squarely, "That's all it was. I need to get cleaned up. When I come back, you better still be here. I will apprehend you and take you back to the police."

"I guess they chose you for this job for a reason," Kazuya said back. "But why don't you stay awhile longer. We haven't seen each other in a long time. Perhaps…"

"Kazuya, what part of 'I'm arresting you' do you not understand?"

"No, I understand perfectly. I was hoping to convince you of something before you did all of that."

"I don't know what game you're trying to play, Kazuya. I don't know why I even agreed to what happened last night. If I don't leave now—"

"Please stay."

Jun turned away from him and stood motionlessly in front of the large double doors of the office.

"I'm…sorry, I can't."

"But, I don't want you to leave. Since the day you left for college, I have been empty. It wasn't until then that I realized that you were the reason I even bothered with hope. Even if it looks impossible, there is some way out of this trap. I need you, Jun."

"Kazuya, I won't even try to decipher what you're trying to say to me. The only thing I need to know is that you are guilty of the charges set before you and that it is my job to bring you in."

"Yes, I am guilty, but I have never tried to deny anything. I am willing to repent, even pay for all my sins, but I know that will be impossible without you by my side—"

"Kazuya, if you're asking me to be your girlfriend, it's too late for that. I remember back then if you had asked me that, I would have said yes with no hesitation, but now—"

"Then explain what happened last night."

"Last night? It was a mistake—a convenient one."

"I may be a bad judger of character, but you don't seem like the type to give yourself to just any guy who asks. Some part of you secretly enjoyed it."

Jun didn't understand why tears sprang to her eyes at that moment. She tried to wipe them away quickly, but they just kept coming. Another electricity of pleasure jolted through her when she suddenly felt Kazuya's presence nearby and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He still hadn't put his clothes back on.

"I don't want to be the reason for your tears any longer."

Jun didn't know how to respond, but when she did it was out of fear and confusion. She pushed him away roughly as tears still spilled down her face.

"You're just a sick little pervert. I can't see how anyone could be attracted to you!" she cried out in a loud shaky voice.

She had expected Kazuya to try and stop her as she ran out, but she experienced no such thing as she made her way to the stairway and scrambled all the way down to the first floor. She didn't even hear any pursuing footsteps. There were no protests or shouts—nothing. It was as if he had already given up. She hated that her mind had felt the need to even analyze his response—she wasn't supposed to care.

Even though there was no pursuit, she hurriedly stuck her key into the ignition and sped off to her apartment. It wasn't until she was ten miles away that she began to breath normally. She was glad when she was able to take a shower and wash away all the filthiness that had occurred. Her blinds had been up, but as soon as she got out of the shower, she closed them and laid down on her living room couch. She tried to think of something else, anything else, but her mind always returned to Kazuya.

What happened to him? Where was the Kazuya that she had known all those years ago, the boy she had left to head off to college to begin her life as an adult? His voice was chillingly calm and his eyes had held no light behind them. Something must have happened, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She hadn't asked either. Perhaps she hadn't wanted to know. Maybe she was tired of trying to "save" him all the time. He was an adult as well. He was fully capable of making his own choices. Whatever had happened must have been his fault. It wasn't her duty to take pity on him, was it?

_Please stay._

Jun flinched involuntarily as she heard his voice as clear as day as if he was standing over her at that very moment. The scary part was she had been willing to do just that without any further questions. She had wanted to stay forever. Because of this, she knew that she had to leave. Whatever attraction they had to each other, it wasn't natural. But she couldn't deny that she had felt something last night.

She remembered the scar that her fingers had traced diagonally across his chest. When had that gotten there? How had it gotten there? She had kissed it tenderly. Any scar that size must have been painful, perhaps even life-threatening. She couldn't see it clearly because they were both shrouded in darkness. It was impossible for her to decide whether it had been there for long. Maybe he had been mauled by a large bear—it would serve him right, but it would still be disconcerting.

There was something else she was missing. Something obvious yet unseen.

Then she sat up on the couch. Could it be the same thing? The emotionless eyes of a dirtied little boy flashed into her mind at that moment. She only knew that there was some external evil at work and Kazuya was not at fault. It had been so obvious back then when Kazuya's kind even gentle personality was still fresh in her mind. How had she missed it? She had seen that same little boy, but…

"Jun Kazama."

She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard her name spoken so arbitrarily.

"Spirit," Jun said almost at a whisper as she sat up on the couch. "I can only guess why you're here."

"Do you regret your decision?"

Jun looked up to the ceiling desperately, "What could I possibly do? He's changed…he's changed drastically."

"There is much you could do if you found it in your heart to do so."

"What are you suggesting I do? Pretend as if nothing has changed and do as he obviously wants to happen between us. It's too late for that kind of talk, you knows—years and years too late. I've moved on."

"That is something else altogether. I am not here to discuss your love life. There is something far more practical you can do for him. But first I must explain to you the situation. There simply isn't enough time for you to figure things out for yourself."

Jun frowned and placed her thumb and index finger on the bridge of her nose. "Yes, fine. Just tell me," she responded quickly.

"Since he was a child, an evil spirit has inhabited his body, a spirit known as Devil. The only thing Devil sought was to fully control his newfound vessel so that he could carry out his own sinister plans upon the world. That has not happened. Not yet, but the situation has become desperate as you say. Not much of the Kazuya you knew is even left. Some part of him is still conscious and still is aware, but that is all. Jun, you must save him before it is too late."

Jun was quiet was for a long minute before she could trust her voice to speak, "A-an evil spirit? This is all just so…"

"You've suspected it already. It shouldn't be too much of a stretch."

"No, it's…I wanted to hear something different. I wanted to believe…" then Jun sighed heavily, "Sometimes I make stupid decisions. I leap without knowing the facts. If I'm really his only hope, then there really isn't any in the first place."

"Do not count yourself out so quickly. I will help you prepare for what you must do."

"What exactly is it that I'm supposed to do?"

"You, Jun, must extract Devil from its host; break the contract that has long since enslaved Kazuya's soul."

/

AN: Let me just take this moment here to say wow. I think Sokka2Me has managed to leave a review for every chapter (including the first story). That's crazy, but very much appreciated. You asked about having Heihachi's point of view. Well, I wasn't exactly planning on doing that, but it would make sense to do something like that instead of just having him pop out of nowhere. I'm trying to get as many POV's as I can in this story because Tekken 3 will be extremely focused on Kazuya. And, Huannguyen, thanks man.


	7. Angel's Training Part One

Chapter 7: Angel's Training Part One

Jun asked that she might be taken off the case. She could deal with the puzzled stares and all her boss's attempts at convincing her to reconsider. There were larger things she had to do and she needed time off. When she requested it, her boss was unable to deny her. She had worked tirelessly since the day she had begun to work at WWWO. She had taken no vacation since then—she was long overdue for one. With this done, she could focus on Angel's teachings.

She had not known the full extent of her abilities. She knew that she had an uncanny ability to read people—it was something that helped her on her job. She could sense if a person was "good" or "bad". She innately knew the prevailing emotions that people, animals, any living thing around her were exhibiting. But she did not even begin to consider that her abilities could go much deeper than that. That was what Angel had come to teach her.

Purification. It was the one technique she needed if she wanted to help Kazuya. She spent days upon days in meditation. Purification required a certain state of mind, one that could not easily be explained. Jun was always too tense. Her mind was always on a million and one things, always worrying about something. These were the natural tendencies of her mind and Jun found them hard to curb. She _had_ to worry. She _had_ to think of everything all at once. It was the only way her brain knew to think. Angel certainly had her hands full. Changing someone's thought patterns were difficult and Angel knew that Jun could be at this for months. Kazuya did not have that long.

Angel was always aware of Kazuya's conditions, whether he had more control or less control. When Jun had left in such a hurry, Devil's influence had come rushing back and nearly broke the little resistance he still had against it. She watched as Kazuya's consciousness was pushed further and further into utter darkness. Kazuya was so spent mentally that he did not bother trying to retake control. She began to wonder if he would ever do so again. As things stood, it did not appear that he would. Angel was not in a position to tell Jun any of this. She could only go so far as teaching Jun how to fully use her abilities without overstepping her boundaries or breaking the contract with the one who had sent her. But even without such reasons, Angel certainly didn't want to be the one guilt-tripping someone into submission. Jun being the way she was, if Angel told her that someone would die if she didn't give them two liters of blood, Jun would do so without a second thought. Love shouldn't be wrought out of convenience or pity; it should be something that both parties wanted regardless of the situation. So Angel out of necessity and personal desire did not tell Jun anything.

On Jun's part, she worried nonetheless and that did not make things any easier. Somehow she knew that she was on some type of schedule even if Angel would not disclose such things to her, but sometimes she'd tried to calm herself with logic—the only other reliable source of information she could obtain. If it was true that Kazuya had been dealing with such an evil spirit since he was five, then might he be an expert by now at controlling its influence? That was what Jun began to think. Maybe there wasn't a rush after all—at least, not as much as she had thought before. Couldn't he do what he's always been doing up until that point?

"Jun, you are thinking too much," the disembodied voice of Angel spoke in weary tones.

"Sorry, I'll try again."

"Do you understand what you are supposed to do?"

"For the most part."

"And what is it?"

"I guess, think about nothing."

"Incorrect."

"What are you saying? That's what I've been trying to do this whole time."

"No human can simply think of nothing. It is impossible. Humans were given a brain to think with. I would no sooner tell you to be blind if you can already see."

"You keep speaking in riddles. I'd appreciate it if you just tell me plainly."

"It is the _state_ of your mind I am trying to get at. That is doable. I want you to calm yourself. That is all I want you to do for now."

"I _am_ calm. I've been calm for the past few weeks."

"No you haven't or else I would not have you sitting here day in and day out. Being in a calm position does not mean that your mind is the same way."

"So you don't want me to think of anything."

"No. I told you, that is impossible."

"Then what is it? What am I doing wrong?"

"Jun, can you honestly say that you are calm? Can you say that you are not worrying about the next person or what you'll be doing tomorrow or how long you actually have to try and learn this technique? Try concentrating on something that you like."

"Is that what I have to do?"

"I do not know your mind. Whatever it is that calms you—think only of that."

"Alright," Jun replied quietly.

There was one thing that came immediately to mind: nature. It seemed almost simplistic after that. Her life had become busier over the years, but she remembered the carefree days of her youth. She'd spend hours on end in the woods near her house on her own. Animals were everywhere and the small insects or birds or even deer that resided there would fascinate her every day. But Jun was a social creature; she was only truly at peace when there was also someone who she could talk to or at the very least listen to what she had to say.

One day she had ventured further into the woods until she came upon the Mishima Estate. She had not known as much back then. All she could see was freshly cut grass as far as the eye could see with small hills scattered sparingly. Mesmerized, she walked further and further onto the property, but stopped when she heard shouts. Deciding that she did not want to be seen, she began to crawl up a small hill that dropped a little into a mainly flat grassy field. There was a large muscular man standing almost in the center shouting out orders. Jun's eyes could just barely make out a much smaller figure jetting around the perimeter of the flattened grounds. When the older man would shout something, the small figure would change the position of arms that appeared to hold dumbbells. She waited for the figure to come closer before realizing that it was a child—a boy to be more exact who looked to be around her age. That was when she laid down flatly on the ground instead of just squatting. She waited and waited for their activity to end. She did not know exactly why she had decided to do such a thing or even to watch the excruciating work of the child. Curiosity might have been the answer. Many hours passed before the man took his leave. By then, it was late in the afternoons and Jun was just beginning to fall asleep. When Jun knew the coast was clear, she stood up and walked down to the area below. She found him sprawled in exhaustion and obviously asleep. Then she had sat down cross legged in wait because certainly he could not remain in that way for very long. Yet he did. She had tried to wake him, but he would not budge.

Jun went back to the same area day after day always met with the same scene of the mysterious sleeping child. She found out from the kids at school that he was not so mysterious only locked up in the mansion. She heard plenty of horror stories about the goings on at the Mishima Estate. No one dared even to step upon the property. Jun knew better than to believe these stories since she had been there several times before. Sure the older man that always seemed to be up there was a bit intimidating, but surely the child couldn't be the same way.

One day she noticed that he had not simply fallen asleep. That was when she had officially met him. The only question on her mind was whether he wanted to play and he had. From there, she would drag him along everywhere and he would rarely protest against it. Her first impression of Kazuya?—cautious, almost overly cautious.

"Look, Kazuya, a caterpillar," Jun exclaimed when she spotted one crawling through the dried broken leaves.

She heard as Kazuya sauntered over. She felt his shadow come over her before he squatted down to her level. Already she had maneuvered the green spotted insect onto her pointer finger.

"A cater—pillar?" Kazuya asked slowly in his usual mild interest.

"Yeah, see?"

Jun had seen plenty of caterpillars before. She definitely knew one when she saw one. She searched for one of Kazuya's hands which happened to be resting on the ground. Then she took one of them up. It was an action that more than startled the other and he might have snatched it back if she did not give him a calming look.

"Don't worry. It's fine," she said as she placed her finger on which the caterpillar crawled and connected the bug as if it were a bridge to his palm.

"Does it bite?" he asked cautiously.

"It's never bitten me," Jun said with a shrug, "There, see that wasn't so bad, right?"

He did not know what exactly to do with a crawling green thing. For a moment, all he did was hold his hand very motionlessly until it got too far up his arm. Then, in a fashion similar to Jun, he would move it to his other hand.

"I know! Let's feed it some leaves."

"What's that gonna' do?" Kazuya asked with a hint of apprehension.

"I don't know—I just wanna see it eat. But caterpillars don't hurt people."

On his own, Kazuya lifted the caterpillar into the air to see it more closely. Its hind parts dangled in the air as its small feet hung on to his finger. It squirmed a little when he ran a gentle finger down the fine hairs on its back. When he touched its small feet, they clung to his skin quite easily. It took a little bit of force to detach its hold.

"That's how it can climb trees," Jun said when she noticed what he was doing.

She came over to him with a bright green leaf and placed it in front of its head. The caterpillar as it crawled back onto his hand paused momentarily on the leaf but then continued on its way up one of Kazuya's fingers.

"It's _supposed_ to eat it. Maybe it's not hungry. What do you think, Kazuya?"

He simply shrugged as he placed his other hand under where the caterpillar was crawling so that it could move to his next hand. It seemed he was fascinated by the small wormlike creature having never seen anything like it.

"Now, aren't you glad you came with me?" Jun watched as he continued to let the caterpillar move from one hand to the next. "Hey, are you even listening?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"Well, let's go look for some other stuff."

Jun did find other animals which she pointed out to him. He was always interested even if it was mildly. They'd seen a skunk, toad, and a few birds before she got an actual rise out of Kazuya.

"Look, it's eating," Kazuya said interrupting whatever Jun had been speaking on at the moment.

"You still have that caterpillar?"

Jun walked over and peered down at it. Sure enough, it was chewing away at the leaf. "It must be really hungry. I thought I said put it down. It's not good to move around animals like that."

"Sorry. I just…wanted to see it eat."

"It's alright, I think it'll make it back."

It took quite a bit of time for the caterpillar to finish up its leaf. When it did, Kazuya carefully placed it on a tree that had similar leaves. He watched it for a little as it climbed at a moderate pace up the trunk.

"There's other insects too," Jun said. She was always keen of noticing Kazuya's interests and compared to all the other things she had shown him, he seemed to pay more attention to that one caterpillar. Perhaps small things that he could hold drew his attention.

Jun knew when Kazuya had to get back home. She knew that he had to be up at the crack of dawn. When it was getting to that time after the sun began to set, she began to move back towards the Mishima Estate.

"I don't get it," Jun said thinking aloud.

Her voice broke the silence that had persisted for the past five minutes. Kazuya did not respond immediately. She began to think that he wouldn't at all.

"Get what?" he finally replied.

"You live so close to here and you never come by yourself."

"Father…he doesn't want me to."

"He said that?"

"No…but I can tell. He wants me to train, that's all."

"Then why'd you come with me?"

There was another pause; an almost unsettling one. "I don't know."

Jun was a little confused by this. "I still don't get it."

But Kazuya had left it at that; Jun wasn't overly surprised with this. He often never attempted to articulate his thoughts and Jun would be left in the dark as usual. When they made it out of the woods again, they parted ways.

"I hope I didn't get you back too late."

"It's fine."

Many nights, in fact, it would be just a little too late. Kazuya still had a few miles before he made it back to the mansion, but he never mentioned this to her. Jun, on her part, who had actually been to the house once or twice, knew as much. He never complained, Jun realized. Even when, by all accounts, he should have, he was closemouthed. He remained a stranger even after all the time they spent together. Try as she might, she could hardly get him to divulge about himself. Yes, everyone knew about his father Heihachi, everyone knew that he trained every single day without fail, but that was all. What did he like to do? What did he do in his free time? These were all questions that he either didn't want to answer or simply didn't have an answer for.

Jun doubted that Kazuya would ever venture away from the house in the first place had it not been for her. Mostly, he was quiet. She'd show him things and talk about virtually everything and he would have little to say back unless she specifically asked for his opinion. He did not understand conversation, but she worked to change that. Eventually, he would reciprocate her efforts, but before she ever truly got to know him, he disappeared. But that was how their relationship had always been. He'd be there for a while and then he would disappear without a trace.

Back then, time had seemed limitless. The Kazuya who she had once known—the shy almost awkward Kazuya—was the one which she truly adored. That was what made her peace complete. She knew that that Kazuya was gone forever. Life had been cruel to a degree that was astonishing to Jun. She did not know the details, but now at least, she knew of his struggle. It wasn't a struggle that would occur every now and then; some days he could put it behind him. No, it was a daily continuous struggle that never ended. How could she have missed such a thing? Why hadn't she sensed it at least? Why had she simply turned a blind eye? She thought of all the times they spent together at Jinpachi's mansion. Even then when she wasn't around, was the same thing happening? Was it still happening after she left for college and left him to fend for himself? It was almost too much to think about.

"You idiot," Jun said under her breath.

He must not have known then; how much she cared about him. That was the only explanation she could think of. He must have been completely oblivious. Jun took a deep breath. She wanted to change that. She had always wanted to change that. And now as mature as he had become, she felt that she was willing to try once again for old time's sake. Maybe now, he might reciprocate.

"You're ready," Angel said steadily startling Jun from her thoughts. "Now for the next step."

/

AN: Yep, another chapter. Sokka2Me, technically, yes, Tekken 3 is ALL about Jin, but the Kazuya story is not about Jin—it's, you guessed it, about Kazuya. Jin probably won't even show up in the third one since they had no interactions together. I'll put other characters in sure, but only if they affect or have dealings with Kazuya. Kazuya isn't even aware of Jin until at least the fourth game. Thanks, huannguyen, for your critique. I'll certainly keep that in mind if I do something similar in the future. AniDenDav; fried chicken? Nice word association therelol.


	8. Wang and Lee's Plot Unfolded

Chapter 8: Wang and Lee's Plot Unfolded

Sometimes he thought of his mother. He thought of her as if he really knew her. In reality, he knew very little. His memory of her that had before been fuzzy was now more like supposition. He supposed that she must have been a nice person. He supposed that she had wanted him to have a good life, but it wasn't as if he could be entirely sure. He remembered vaguely that he had not been very happy after her disappearance, but that was all. Still, he thought of her. He imagined her as he wanted her to be: kind, pure—everything he wasn't. He imagined that she'd be horrified by now at what he had become. He wondered if she was the kind of woman to continue to support him even if she didn't approve or the kind of woman who would break off all contact. Kazuya wanted her to be the latter. He didn't want her to be the kind of woman who would willingly take B.S. from someone even if the evidence told him otherwise. Any woman who could marry his father and also have his child was obviously someone who was more or less a pushover, but Kazuya didn't want to think of it that way. Perhaps there was some other reason that forced her into such a situation. Maybe the entire marriage had been arranged and his mother had had no choice in the matter. That was what made sense to Kazuya.

Maybe she wouldn't be as horrified as he first thought. She spent years with a man she probably did not love and she could do little to change it. If he could somehow explain to her how this had all happened, she'd understand him. They could sit down and further discuss how sucky their lives had turned out to be. She could rant about Heihachi's disgusting behavior and he could pine about the days when Devil wasn't even a twinkle in his eye. They might laugh about it…even when there was nothing funny about it. He'd at least have someone to talk to no matter the situation.

If he could meet his mother now, he'd speak on many things. He'd tell her in detail about his life with Heihachi and then his brief stay at the orphanage followed by the rest of his upbringing by Jinpachi.

He reclined a little in his office chair in exhaustion. For four days now, he had physically stayed awake waiting for Jun's return. Even if they weren't on good terms, she would at least return to finish the job. He wanted to be himself or as much himself as he could muster when she arrived. She never came. He could have tracked down her number or the people who she worked for, but he did none of this. He simply accepted her absence. He sensed that he had repulsed the woman and there was no way he could take back what happened that day. Pursuing her would only make things worse. She'd come back, he assumed, but perhaps not now. There was a better chance that she wouldn't, however, and Kazuya found himself thinking along those lines more often than not. Maybe she'd let someone else take over the assignment and he would never see her again. If that was the case, so be it. He hadn't expected much from the very beginning. He hadn't expected even to see her and they had done much more than that. He could not ask for more.

He could feel Devil always there just around the corner. It was anxious to have its way once again. Kazuya hadn't resisted Devil in this way for a long time. He once thought that his strength to do so was gone, but now he knew for sure that he had just been giving up slowly but surely. It wasn't that Devil was any stronger than it used to be or it had chosen this time to really dig its claws in—it was that his resolve had begun to weaken. Before, he could fall asleep and wake up the next day still himself, such was his determination. Now, there was no telling what would happen if he so much as let down his guard. But he couldn't deny the fact that he was tired after so many days of wakefulness.

Kazuya closed his eyes when he could no longer take it. Once he did so, he felt that he could not really open them until he was actually rested. Anyone could have walked into the room at the moment and shake their heads at the fact that he was asleep on the job. But he did not care. Those people did not understand his situation. He had too much to worry about to even consider someone else's feelings especially not that of strangers. He knew, however, that no one would say a word. They all feared him. No one wanted to give him any reason to tear them to shreds. In fact, no one came to his office unless they absolutely had to in order to do their jobs well enough. Kazuya saw little of his employees.

He was only asleep for a little while before Devil made its presence known. Kazuya was too tired to protest and he did not have the will to. He wondered why he had been fighting for so long. He realized that even subconsciously, he had been waiting for her, for Jun. Now that she was gone for good, he assumed, he could find no other reason to latch onto. He found himself back in that small, dark corner. There he would stay he supposed until Devil felt the need to thrust him back into the world—Kazuya did not foresee this occurring anytime soon.

Physically, Kazuya was awake again, but it was Devil who looked through those eyes unabated by Kazuya. It was then that Lee walked smoothly into his office. He had come to give him an update on one of the many projects that Kazuya had ordered him to oversee—one of those being experimentation on extinct animals. It was so routine for Lee that he simply ran through the details as if he were a cashier at McDonalds. As long as they were good results then Kazuya would say little else to him. Such was the case now.

"Strange," said Lee as he set the written form of his report on Kazuya's table, "Just yesterday, you had no idea that this project even existed. In fact, I remember you had to refer to your notes and even then you were confused. Today it appears you know everything. Are you sure you don't have any questions for me?"

Kazuya looked up at him with emotionless eyes; Lee could tell that the other was not the least bit amused at him bringing this up. "Sometimes I forget things. There are plenty of other pressing issues that I concern myself with. Not with the petty projects I give you." Kazuya gave him a slight grin, "Besides, they're only purpose is to keep you busy. They have no significant impact on the corporation."

Lee frowned at this, but was unperturbed, "Ah, memory loss strikes again. I thought you'd have a better excuse by now. Could it be that you were unaware of what occurred yesterday or better yet perhaps you didn't anticipate that I would confront you about it?"

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Nothing," Lee said as he turned, "I was just curious."

"I am aware of everything, boy. I would know if you gave me a half-assed report as you have done now or if you completely fabricated the whole thing. Take your curiosity elsewhere if you know what's good for you."

"But that's the problem—I don't."

Kazuya watched as the other made his way to the exit before pausing to look back at him once again.

"I heard Jun is back in town. Perhaps we could have a get-together for old time's sake."

"I would never agree to that."

"Oh well; we'll just see, won't we?" Lee replied cheekily as he twisted the gilded door handle and finally exited.

Kazuya stared at the closed door for a moment longer than usual. He thought of how much he had wanted to jump across the table and tear apart the fool known as Lee. But even more he thought of Kazuya—the real one—and how much he had squirmed under his heavy hand at the very mention of Jun's name. Had that bastard known? Was that why it felt like somehow Lee had had the upper hand in that conversation? No one in their right minds would ever invite him to something. All those around him feared him and Kazuya kept others at a distance. Any attempt at social contact was doomed from the start. Yet there was Lee boldly extending an invitation. Either he was stupid or he had something up his sleeves. Even if he did, however, Devil regarded the entire thing as foolhardy.

"Is this what you wanted?" Devil said aloud using Kazuya's voice.

Devil could easily sense the other's thoughts: _I have no control over what Lee does._

"You'd lie even to yourself if you thought it meant the end of me. I know what happened on that roof."

_You'll have to be more specific…_

"Oh cut the crap. Lee knows something, doesn't he?"

_I have no idea._

"Gah! Fine, keep pretending you don't know anything. I know that you do."

Devil heard no more from Kazuya, but one thing was certain—he could not keep Kazuya under his control when Jun was involved. As long as her presence remained, it'd never actually have full control.

/

Lee met up with Wang minutes after his encounter with Kazuya that day during lunch. Strangely enough Lee found that he kept running into him on a far more regular basis than before. But he allowed the old man his secrets. Something told him that it was better to keep it that way.

"What did you find out?" Wang asked the other

They were sitting at a two person table in the far corner—the picture of two men going over some shady deal.

"Sometimes I wonder why I hadn't noticed these things before. I felt as if I was talking to an entirely different person—it was very strange. Yesterday, I think _that_ was Kazuya, but today," Lee shook his head slowly.

"We tend to ignore things we don't want to see or believe. So, you gave him an invitation."

"Yes, and he shut me down very quickly, exactly the way you said he would."

"Jun is key."

"But how can you be so sure? Maybe he just didn't want to go."

"Ask him again on a different day when you feel the time is right."

"And if he says no?"

"Well then, I'll just have to go to plan B."

"So what exactly are you going to do?" Lee said to Wang who seemed to be deep in thought.

"No, the real question is, what are you willing to do?"

"Almost anything—within reason of course."

"I need you to speak to Jun. I need you to convince her to work with us. She needs to be involved. Can you do that?"

"And I thought you were giving me a difficult job, but if I'm to convince Jun of anything you have to stop keeping me in the dark. She'll want to know everything before agreeing to anything."

"Very well, listen closely, son."

Wang took nearly half an hour explaining what he planned to do and Lee was all ears. When it was all said and done, Wang gave Lee a small sheet of paper that held Jun's address. How he managed to get such information was irrelevant to Lee especially when after asking that very question, Wang became quite evasive. Wang assured him that she would most definitely be at this location since she'd chosen to take off some much needed time from her job. Even with all this information, Lee knew that he had his work cut out for him. There was no time to doubt his own persuasive abilities or even to worry if this crazy plan of Wang's would actually work. He just needed to do.

/

Jun nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the ring of her doorbell. She realized she hadn't heard the sound of it in years. There would hardly be any reason to warrant a visit to her house.

"Answer it already," came the impatient voice of Angel, "We'll simply begin our session later on."

Jun nodded, climbed to her feet from her cross-legged position, and answered the door.

"Oh, Lee? Is that really you?" Jun said in a genuinely surprised voice. She had not expected him of all people to be behind the door when she opened it.

"Yes, alive and well. It's a shame we couldn't keep in touch."

"It is, it is. Please, come in."

She hadn't even asked how he had gotten her address. She was a public officer in any case; it wouldn't take too much detective work to figure it out. She invited him to sit on a couch inside of the living room. This being an unexpected visit she wasn't too put off with the fact that she had nothing in the way of h'orderves or tea to offer him.

"So what brings you here?" Jun asked the other. She was full of questions. She had no idea what Lee was doing with his life these days and she found that she was quite interested.

"I heard you were in town."

"Oh, you did? I didn't know I was so popular."

"In your own circle, I've no doubt that you are. Truthfully, I hadn't so much _heard_ you were here, but saw. You were running so fast out of the office building where I work that you missed me completely, but I knew who you were. You must have been in a rush that day."

She knew instinctively what he had been referring to. There was only one office building which she had rushed out of that day. What were the chances that Lee would have been there to see? "You could say that. It was work related, but now I'm taking some time off of work. Maybe we could—

"Get-together sometime?" Lee finished her sentence.

"Yeah."

"I see we have the same idea. It would be my greatest pleasure, but perhaps on some later date. There is something I must ask of you."

"I see we're finally coming to the real point of your visit."

"Why so negative? I came to see you, of course. It just so happened that I needed to ask you a favor." He talked in lower tones then as if someone might hear them, "I need you to…help me, help Kazuya. Hopefully, you still remember him."

"Oh, I remember him," Jun replied quickly, "Listen, I don't think I'll be able to help you. I…I'm busy with my own work."

"Even when you're on vacation? You're a devoted employee. I don't want to scare you or push you into something you don't want to do, but I desperately need your help. What do I have to do to convince you of that?" Lee said just as smoothly as if he had practiced each and every response to any possible question or declination.

Jun took a deep sigh, "Nothing. Nothing at all. I think I understand what you're trying to do. Please, don't get involved with Kazuya and his problems. It will not end well for anyone. Besides, I've already taken things into my own hands."

"I'm sure you have. I don't know exactly what you're planning to do, but it would harm no one if you put it on hold for a while. We both want the same thing it appears. Help us first and if it doesn't work you can return to what you were previously doing. If it does, then your work is done, isn't it?"

"I might consider your offer if I knew what it is you were doing. Time is of the essence."

"Wang has something in mind. Now, I can't tell you the specifics of just how, but he plans to exorcise him. I don't know if something like that would work, but Wang seems confident enough. He needs you to bring Kazuya to his house where he will already have everything set-up, essentially leading Kazuya to a "trap", if you will."

"You want me to lie to him," Jun said matter-of-factly.

"Basically, but you understand it's for the greater good. We're not trying to kill him or anything so drastic, we just want to help. Trust me."

"I'm not sure if I could do that. Lying isn't my forte."

"Then don't. No one says you have to. The only thing you have to do is get him to that house." Lee took up one of her hands gently just as he slipped something out of his pocket; he placed a small sheet of paper in her hand that disclosed the address which she should take him. "We're counting on you."

Jun looked at him with empathetic eyes, "Alright, I'll do it. If it's to help Kazuya…then I'll do it."

"You won't be disappointed," Lee said standing up.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Well, I have to help Wang prepare. I'd say this thing could happen today or tomorrow. I'll contact you when everything is ready."

"You guys don't waste any time."

"I told you; we don't plan to drag things out."

"Why so short notice? I mean, I can't just pop up out of nowhere—I have to call him first, we have to agree on a time; things like that."

Lee smiled at her. "It'll be far simpler. You know where Kazuya works. Show up there. He won't have anything else planned; he never has anything else planned. As soon as he sees that it's you, I'm sure he'll be most accommodating. Don't sell yourself short. You still have a great deal of influence over him."

"Just…show up?"

"Don't worry. Everything will work itself out."

And the way he said it, one would think the plan was so full proof that nothing could possibly go wrong. Jun could not be fooled so easily. The whole thing seemed to hinge on whether she could get him to the house or not. Lee eventually took his leave and Jun was left with a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach.

/

Devil continued to hold his control over Kazuya, but it had become increasingly difficult to do so. Lee had mentioned Jun again about the fact that they had talked and was still planning that get-together. He'd invited him once again and Devil had declined just as swiftly as before. Kazuya was growing restless, Devil could tell, far too restless. Devil had worked for years to dampen his spirits to a point where he would be unable to fight back his control, but Kazuya's efforts seemed renewed. If this had all come about from just the mention of her name, what would happen if…

Devil looked up when he heard a click. Someone was opening the door. It was her. Devil's sharp eyes (though, they were only as sharp as Kazuya's) made her out immediately. In an instant, Devil was no longer looking through those eyes. He found his control completely gone. Such was always the case whenever Jun's presence was near. Instead of making a big fuss about it, it knew when to pick its fights. Devil decided that it would sit back; Jun would not be staying for long. After last time, it saw that their relationship was practically through.

Kazuya was only a little disoriented after so many days of darkness; he tried to hide such things from Jun.

"Kazuya…" Jun said upon seeing him. There was a hint of coyness in her voice and as she stood there, she seemed frightened of something. "I…"

"You don't have to explain yourself." Kazuya took the relief shown on her face to mean that he had managed to say the right thing. "I'm just glad that you're here."

Jun approached his desk slowly. She seemed unsure of herself as if the reason she was there was not completely clear to her. Kazuya stood up from his chair and came around to her. They managed to keep a respectable distance from one another.

"Was there something you wanted?" Kazuya asked to the speechless Jun.

She nodded once. "I…was wondering if…you wanted to go somewhere with me—I mean, if you're not too busy. I know this is short notice and—

"Of course," he interrupted. She looked up at him with a surprised expression. "I was just leaving anyway," Kazuya said to further assure her.

She seemed ready to bolt, but Kazuya tried to appear as harmless as he could. The thought of her rushing off again was enough to cause him to be extra careful. He didn't want to jump into things as he had before. Now it seemed an olive branch had been extended—he did not want to ruin his own chances however small they might be. He grew concerned when her eyes saddened a little.

"Look, I can't do this."

"Jun—

"No, let me finish. I was sent here by Lee. He knows something is wrong and…so do I. We want to help you including Wang—I'm not sure if you know him or not. I was to bring you to a certain place where he would exorcise you. They thought I'd be the only one capable of convincing you to do it—I was supposed to lie, but you know I can't do that."

There was a strained look on his face. Jun stepped back before she even knew she was doing it. She felt the evil then palpable and threatening. For a moment there she thought she could see something else in his eyes dark and angry. He hadn't said a word and she continued to move back. It took her a moment to realize that she was not actually moving back of her own accord there was another force pushing her back.

"Wait," he finally said as she neared the door.

And just as suddenly as she had felt it, it vanished into thin air. There was Kazuya once again standing before her, speechless, it would seem. Far too many things had happened at that moment. Firstly, that Jun already knew of his predicament. He wondered how long she had known. The entire reason he had kept his distance from her was so that she could never learn his secret—now she was in grave danger. Usually when Jun was around, Devil would take a backseat. That was not the case now. When Devil felt that it was in danger, it became increasingly difficult to keep it at bay. There were two things he could have done then: yell at her, scare her into making a beeline to her car and speeding off forever or he could do whatever it is they had planned for him in the small chance that it might work. He liked the latter choice; it didn't involve hurting her feelings. Even as he decided as much, he could feel Devil scraping against the barrier he would normally put up to try to lessen its influence whenever he was in control. The scratching became fervent. If he was to do this, he should do it as soon as possible. He had no time to act flabbergasted.

"I'll go with you," he finally said.

"You will?" Jun said happily as she clasped her hands together. "Follow me, then."

She tried to take his hand, but he kept them as usual in his pocket and he did not seem inclined to do otherwise. Finally, she turned and he followed. The silence between them became so heavy that Jun would force a glance backwards just to see how he was faring. She could not tell from his expression alone, but that didn't surprise her. He was an expert at hiding his emotions to the point that even she sometimes could not tell what he was feeling if he felt anything at all.

They got to her car and she got into the driver's side. Kazuya in turn took the passenger's seat.

"It may take a little while. Wang lives far out," she told the silent Kazuya.

She wanted to make small talk but she could sense that he wasn't in the mood for it. He hadn't so much as turned his eyes towards her. If there was one thing she could figure out, it was that he was quite tense. At the moment, he seemed lost in his own world—she knew she would get little from him conversation wise. Something told her to not push her luck. She kept quiet the entire way keeping her eyes locked on the road.

Maintaining control was perhaps the hardest obstacle that Kazuya had ever endeavored to cross. He was no expert. No one had showed him exactly how to do it. There had been no rule book, nothing to model after. He was left on his own to fend for himself. Devil mocked and goaded him at every turn. He could not possibly keep this up. By then, as their trip was under full swing, he had closed his eyes for concentration sake. He did not know specifically what he should do, but from experience he knew that remaining calm was a good place to start. Jun was so close by, only inches away and Devil could sense their closeness. It wanted no more but to kill her. As with everything else that Devil saw as a challenge to his authority; Jun was no exception. There were plenty of ways she could have died this day and Devil spared him no reprise from all his ideas. Images of her many forms of death played across his vision over and over again. It was sickening to the point that he might have pulled his eyes out, but he had need for his eyes so that was out of the question. All he could do was watch. How could he simply ignore what was clearly in front of him?

Jun drove faster than usual. She began to wonder if it had been so smart to simply tell him the truth. She hadn't just been speaking to Kazuya, she was also addressing Devil. Perhaps it might have been easier for everyone had she just kept her big mouth shut. Kazuya would not have been made to suffer the entire trip there. She knew that he had to be; he had not spoken a word. She feared that her voice might do more harm than good. She only spared him a glance and he seemed deep in some sort of meditation. Even so, he did not appear to be calm—he was the furthest from it. His skin glistened with sweat and he would grimace every so often for reasons unknown to her. Her foot put a little more pressure on the accelerator. It did not look good and it did not seem like she had much time to spare. Kazuya had already done his part in this grand scheme of Wang and Lee—he had accepted their help. Now it was her turn to get him there and finally it would be their turn to do what it was they set out to do. Maybe just maybe things could return to normalcy. She saw his hands clench up from her peripherals. And maybe Kazuya could live his life as he saw fit.

/

The door was unlocked just as Lee had informed her it would be when she got there. Kazuya was five paces behind her. She looked back at him for good measure. Her eyes lingered there longer than she had expected. He seemed ready to faint from exhaustion.

"I don't have all day," Kazuya snapped.

"S-sorry," Jun replied quickly. It was enough to startle her back into action.

He didn't have all day perhaps not much longer. Jun walked ahead in front of her and was presented with a completely darkened room. The only light came from the candles that formed a perfect circle in the center of the room. There was a podium further back and she could make out the outline of a man standing there.

"So you made it," came the old voice of Wang from the podium. "Where is he?"

"He's coming," Jun reassured him, "I guess he had to…regain his composure a little."

"Don't tell me—you told him everything didn't you?"

"Yes…I did. It was the only way I could have done it."

"Lee said you'd do as much. You do realize that you put yourself in grave danger. The evil spirit that dwells within Kazuya will put up much more of a fight—I'm surprised you were able to make it here at all."

"What do you take me for, old man?" The very sound of Kazuya's voice quieted anymore conversation they might have had with each other. "I've come too far to have it end so easily. Jun did as she always does and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jun looked back to where the voice was emitting, but she could not see him very clearly. Either way she could not help the smile that crept slowly to her face. She didn't remember anyone besides her mother who'd admit that they liked her exactly the way she was. Kazuya had known her for a very long time—it meant a lot to her.

"Allow me to end all of this right here and now," Wang said slowly, "Would you be so kind as to walk into the circle of candles?"

Jun could see him now as he followed what Wang had asked him. He looked far more calm and strong than he had in the car.

"What exactly do you plan to do?" Kazuya questioned the other steadily.

"Patience, patience, young man. Just you stand there while I read the incantation. And whatever happens during that time, you just let it happen."

Wang began soon after. Kazuya listened to the odd syllables ringing in his ears just as he felt Devil stir uncomfortably within. Slowly, he began to weaken not because of Devil, but because of some other force. Usually, he would fight against such things, but per Wang's instruction, he did not. Besides, he could not if he wanted to. It felt more like a heavy hand bearing down upon him. It wasn't the sort of thing one could even hope to resist. Devil stirred with even more fervor just as Kazuya was forced to drop to his knees in his increasing weakness. Soon, he realized, he would lose consciousness and whatever they planned, they would be completely on their own with an evil spirit they knew practically nothing about. _Old man, I hope you know what the hell you're doing._ Kazuya thought as his eyes closed and he lay flaccidly on the ground.

Jun shrank back when she heard a terrible scream echo through the house and just as suddenly a powerful gust of wind crashed into her face. Her eyes were open long enough to see wide batlike wings spread out. Something was standing there in the middle, translucent but at the same time real. This was the evil spirit that Wang was referring to, the very same one that Jun had inadvertently sensed for all those years.

"Fools," the spirit spat at no one in particular.

Its voice sounded so much like Kazuya's that it was disturbing. His stature mirrored that of Kazuya and in fact even the way he stood. It was as if without Kazuya he would have no true form at all.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. You think you can get rid of me—a spirit that has lived here in this world for millennia? If there's one thing I enjoy about humans it is their tenacity as if simple submission is unheard of."

"What are you doing, old man?" Lee warned Wang, "He's distracting you so you won't finish it. Get on with it."

The incantation began again. Jun hadn't known Lee was even there shadowed as he was in the darkness. Some of the candles had become unlit with the wind, but they were quickly relit by an unseen benefactor. Now she knew that person to be Lee. Eventually, he made his way to Jun's position as Wang continued on.

"Ah, so Lee is here. I've always found you to be annoying, boy."

Lee instantly recognized that tone—it was same one he had heard from Kazuya when he had first invited him to a get-together. It was eerie. A sudden realization came over him. How often had he ever actually spoken with Kazuya during the time he worked under him? It seemed very little. Devil must have known them all quite well always lurking there behind the scenes disguised as a human.

Jun stepped back a little when the glowing red eyes of Devil turned to her.

"You're only prolonging the inevitable," Devil seethed, "What do you think you'll accomplish today? Why do you, out of all people, allow this suffering to drag on. He will futilely continue to cling on to your false hope until he completely destroys himself. Is that what you want, woman? You think you're so helpful, that you're doing the right thing, but you hardly understand anything. You don't understand how the world works."

"Don't listen to it," Lee said to a despairing Jun, "They're just lies, all of it."

"Like I said, just annoying," Devil said referring to Lee. "And what do you hope to gain from any of this?"

Jun could tell what Lee was doing as he began to move slowly away from her so that she could be out of Devil's line of sight. There was a step three to their plan that involved her solely. She was to take Kazuya away from the circle to the outside. It was assumed that the further Devil was from Kazuya the weaker it would become. Jun took a deep breath and slipped into the circle. She imagined that he would be quite heavy to pull, but she had volunteered anyways. She'd forgotten also the amount of darkness. She felt around on the ground for what felt like an eternity before she found his fingers. Her hands wrapped around his and she began to quickly make space between him and Devil. Devil seemed completely preoccupied much to her amazement. Its tension span must have been small indeed. Then again, some of the things that were coming out of Lee's mouth were hard to ignore.

When she made it to the door, she knew that when she opened it Devil would be well aware of what she was doing especially since there was still light outside. Quickly, she swung the door opened and moved as fast as she could out the door. Even when she was outside she could hear Devil's angered cries. She slammed the door shut. She took Kazuya far out into the front yard before she called it quits. Wang had wanted Kazuya further away but not completely out of the vicinity—even he knew that it would be too jarring for someone who had lived with a certain spirit for almost his entire life.

The sun was piercing. She had to cover her eyes a little for them to readjust.

"It's over," she said quietly. "I can't believe it…this might actually work."

Her eyes became concentrated on the front door, but nothing further happened. The door never swung open or ripped from its hinges. It remained very still. She heard movement behind her. It was Kazuya emerging from his catalepsy. He sat up slowly with eyes squinted from the startling light of the sun. His hand came to his chest and immediately she was reminded of the great scar that she had found there. She knew then that it must have had something to do with Devil, but she did not have the courage to ask exactly how. She realized a little too late that she had been staring. His eyes finally met hers.

"What is…happening in there?" Kazuya asked.

"Oh, sorry. I know you have a lot of questions. That spirit—

"Devil," Kazuya interrupted her. "I mean, that's its name," he further explained noticing her raised eyebrow.

"Well, Devil, it is inside of the house. Lee and Wang will take care of it—that's what they said they'd do."

"It's impossible."

"Kazuya, you don't know that. Everything so far has gone smoothly."

"That means nothing. It's still there."

It was hard really for Jun to gauge what was happening inside from her position. All she could sense was that Devil was near. Its presence was so pure and overwhelming that she could hardly sense anything else. Kazuya was no longer looking towards the house. He still sat on the ground and his eyes looked downward. One hand remained there upon his chest.

"Devil's angry now. They better finish this quickly."

"Do you know if they're almost done," Jun asked the other who seemed more knowledgeable than her on the situation.

"How should I know? I'm not familiar with this…technique of theirs."

"Oh, okay."

She looked up suddenly when she heard the door rumble violently. Then just like that it stilled.

"What happened?" Jun questioned the other.

She could still sense a tremendous amount of evil there in that house—it was really too much for her to discern anything.

"Devil is no longer there."

"What?" Jun said with surprise. "But I can still sense _something_."

Kazuya shook his head once, "Residual effect, I suppose. It probably wouldn't be safe to walk back in, at least not for me."

His hand had not moved from its position. For some reason, she did not feel comfortable asking about his condition. He seemed so distant now. She had imagined things differently. Now that Devil was gone, he could return to his former self. Maybe it was just too soon to tell.

"Can you stand?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't trust my own strength."

Jun adopted a worried expression which Kazuya noticed right away.

"I'll be fine."

"No, I can tell when you're lying. Please, just tell me what's wrong."

She did not receive an immediate response nor had she expected one. They remained silent for what felt like minutes before either one of them decided to break it.

"I don't know how to explain it," he began. He was no longer looking at her. "It's as if a huge gaping hole has opened up. A part of me which I feel I've known since the very beginning is gone. I guess I just don't feel like myself anymore. I don't know what to feel or think anymore. It's stupid. I know that I should, but I don't."

Jun who was standing walked over to him and sat down beside him. "I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about, but I think I got the gist. You're not alone. If you need help readjusting, then I'll be there…and for anything else."

/

AN: Wow, that took longer than expected to actually write. I hadn't realized it'd be this long. I'm just glad to finally be finished with it. Anyways, it looks as if a new can of worms have opened up. Devil is gone—everything should return to normal. But what exactly _is _normal? Huannguyen; thanks for all your compliments. I always hesitate before putting in flashbacks—a lot of people get annoyed with them. Sokka2Me; well I don't want to give away my brilliant plan, but there will be training. It probably wouldn't be focused on training because that could get kind of boring. Training isn't anything new to Kazuya; it'd be second nature by then. It'd be like I was focusing on how humans are able to breathe.


	9. A Different New Beginning

Chapter 9: A Different New Beginning

His personality had become so synced with Devil's that he scarcely knew where his began and Devil's ended. He didn't know whether he liked or disliked something. He'd stare at something and not know how to react. He could wake up in the morning and not know what to do with himself. But this was what he had wanted, wasn't it? Freedom. Freedom to think on his own, make his own decisions, do what he wanted. He could be himself. The problem was, he no longer knew who "himself" was.

"Think back," Jun told him one day, "Wasn't there a time when you knew you were yourself? Back when you used to live with your father?"

"Jun, people change. Even if I could remember, it wouldn't matter. That was too long ago."

"You know, you said something like that to me one Halloween night. People change. Well, you have to have a starting point, right?"

"I wasn't myself back then anyway. All I did was train. I was never certain whether I enjoyed it or not—it simply became a routine."

"Remember when we used to—

"Jun," he said stopping her before she could go any further into her reminiscing. "I don't remember. Most of my past is a blur to me."

"You can't really mean that you've forgotten everything. It's not like it was so long ago—maybe a decade really."

"Time doesn't matter. Devil is gone."

"I know that, but—

"You don't understand. Devil is gone. It took its memories and all the influence it had ever had over me with it. There are just too many holes in my memory—it's more like a jigsaw puzzle that will always be missing pieces."

"That's alright; I can just fill in the holes for you."

"No, you can't. You weren't always with me. Besides, it wouldn't be very authentic."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I'll figure something out."

The two of them happened to be at a small, quaint eatery. It was a place that they had come to meet regularly. Jun promised she would help him and the best that she could get Kazuya to agree to was to join her for lunch every once in a while. Their relationship hadn't gotten much closer not to the degree that Jun had wanted. She thought Kazuya would need her help, demand for it, but this was not the case. He wanted independence more than anything else perhaps even more than her. She tried to understand his dilemma, but she could not fully. She'd reach her hand out and he'd swat it away.

It just seemed like he wasn't trying hard enough. All he seemed to do was complain and complain. _This _was what he had wanted, wasn't it? Now, as she sat there with him, she wondered if that was the case. He was not happy. She hadn't seen him smile once.

"So, are you still going to keep your job?" Jun asked the other.

"Of course."

"Well, I was only wondering. You told me before that getting it wasn't entirely your idea in the first place."

"Yes, I know. But it isn't so bad. I'm not like you—I can't just go out and find some meaningful job I actually like to do. Besides, Grandfather really did want me to take over his position. It's the least I can do."

"Are you okay with that?"

"I said that I was, didn't I?"

"No, you said that you'd make do."

"Same difference."

"It isn't. Now, I thought you wanted to do things differently. If you're able to make your own choices, why don't you?"

"And what would you have me do? Make a sudden career change when I have no skills in anything else, no specific interests? I'd sooner be homeless."

"Well how do you know that you don't have skills in other career fields if you've never tried? And what do you know of your interests?"

"Nothing really, but that's why we're here, isn't it? You're here to tell me that I'm being stupid or irrational. I can't think for myself so _you're_ going to tell me how, right? It's easy to lecture people from your position. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your concern, but that's all you've ever shown me. You always ask me questions I can't answer. I can't ever seem to answer them correctly. And you always look at me with those eyes—like you expected more. I already know, you don't have to tell me—you want me to be someone I'm not. I'm sorry I'm not up to your standards."

"Kazuya, now—you're just putting words in my mouth."

"Am I? I'm just making things up now. I'm just being delusional, right? Look, I have to go."

"Wait," Jun said as the other stood up. He took some money out of his wallet and left it on the table before leaving her.

She did not stand up and try to catch him. All she did was sit there and listened as his footsteps became further and further away. Where exactly was there relationship anyways? Was anything left to salvage? Maybe she did expect more from him or pine about the person he used to be. But why did he have to be so rude about it? She thought that he would change immediately. She thought if she got rid of the thing that that was controlling him and consequently his personality, he'd be the one person she had been waiting for. But maybe she was waiting for a ghost. The man she knew now—she had no idea what to make of him.

Maybe he just needed some space. There was only so much she could do anyways. In the end, he had to make his own decisions. He had to decide what he was going to do with his life. Whether she would approve of his decisions or not didn't really matter at this point. She tried to convince herself of this fact for the majority of the day, but she knew she was lying to herself. She wanted to be there every step of the way. She didn't want to see him walk down a self-destructive path though it seemed he was leaning towards that.

/

It was late in the night when the phone rang startling her from the continued training she was receiving from Angel. Jun wondered why Angel still insisted that she received it. She understood precaution, but Devil was gone, wasn't he, and Kazuya wouldn't be stupid enough to make yet another deal, right? Jun wasn't putting much effort into it as a result. In fact, she had barely advanced passed what she had already accomplished weeks ago. She could take her time now, though she still had personal motivation to carry on—perhaps such a technique that Angel was teaching her might come in handy back at work.

"Hello?" Jun asked tentatively to the person on the other side of the phone.

"It's me."

Jun knew that voice to be that of Kazuya.

"So it is. You wanted to ask me something?"

"Sorry about earlier. I know you're just trying to help. It's just…"  
"That's alright. You weren't too far from the truth. I guess I am being a bit pushy."

"I'm glad that you are. Don't ever change that. I do remember that Halloween night you were referring to."

"You do?"

"Now I do. Now that I had time to think about it. How could I have forgotten? I remember I made a promise to myself that day when you ran into my room demanding that I go trick-or-treating with you—I never wanted to make you upset again. I never wanted to see you cry again. It was a promise I was doomed to break from the very beginning. Even now, I can't seem to stop disappointing you. I know this is breaking the rules you must have made up for yourself, but it doesn't matter. I've never been able see the forest for the trees. Just tell me what it is you want from me. Is there something I'm not doing?"

Jun took a deep breath. "You're not being open to new ideas. I suggest something and you shut me down so quickly that I'm afraid to even do it anymore."

"Oh, I see, like today. Something about trying new things, huh."

"Exactly. I know the Mishima Corporation has been in your family since the very beginning and it's what your grandfather groomed you for, but was it something you really wanted to do?"

"I don't know anymore."  
"You know what I think? You hated your father so much that you wanted to take away the very thing he was striving so ruthlessly to obtain. Your grandfather gave you a means to an end so you took it." Jun waited for the other to respond to this, but he didn't so she continued. "You told me the real reason your father adopted Lee—it was for no noble cause. Both of you, you and your father, went to such extremes just to get back each other. He was now responsible for a child he didn't love and you were signing your life away to a job you could care less about. Don't you realize that you were ruining each other's lives for the sake of spite? Now you don't have to do that anymore—in fact, you probably didn't have to in the first place. There's no reason to continue down this road. Do something different. Do something you can be proud of."

Now that she was really finished. She waited and waited for the other's response until she feared that he might have hung up already.

"Could you at least say something?" Jun said exasperatedly. "It's not like I can see your face."

"Sorry…I was thinking. I always suspected that my life sucked—thanks for clearing that up."

"Oh, well, I didn't mean to—

"No, it's fine. You're right. You're always right as far as I'm concerned. Since I was a child, I guess I've always accepted things for what they were. Early on I knew that the rest of my life could only go downhill from there so I prepared myself for it. You know what I realize? The options are limitless for what you want to do with yourself when you don't care either way, but when you try to do something you actually want to do, the choices become so slim. I think for most people there are only one or two things that they really love to do. That just makes things so much more difficult. The chances are stacked against you isn't it? Realistically speaking, I mean. Who really has the time or money to find out what they love to do? If it's true you first have to experience something before you can tell, then it's almost impossible."

When he put it that way, the situation looked almost impossible. Wanting to change was fine and dandy, but when it came to the question of changing in what way—things became convoluted. Jun knew that she wanted him to try new things, but she never thought about the fact that even so, he might not find what he's looking for. She didn't want to think along those lines. Someone like Kazuya, someone who as a rule always took a nice long look at the negative before proceeding would not have missed that. But Jun thought it was different for them. They had the time and finances, didn't they? Kazuya was, by all accounts, wealthy. Being in charge of a financial empire would warrant as much. They weren't like regular people. That was perhaps the only thing keeping Jun's hope alive also the fact that she was confident that he'd find something else far more fulfilling to spend his time doing. There just _had_ to be something else.

"Now you're the one being silent," Kazuya said interrupting her thoughts.

"Hey, that was a lot to digest all at once."

"Glad my words could be so thought-provoking."

"It's not impossible."

"What? Thought-provoking words?"

"No. I mean finding something you love to do."

"I can always settle, you know. Finding something besides what I'm doing should be sufficient."

"No. 'Cus then you'd be right back where you started."

"Not entirely. I will have chosen something for myself."

"This is your life we're talking about."

"Who says I have to do one job for the rest of my life? Maybe I'll do multiple. Get tired of one, go to the next."

"Now you just sound like a drifter; can't stay in one place for too long."

"Maybe that's what I like to do."

Jun sighed exasperatedly, "Give me a break. I suspect you're someone who'd much rather have monotony than constant changes."

"Monotony—that's what I'm used to anyways. But it's boring and I've never thought otherwise."

"This really is too much to think about all in one night," Jun said with a yawn.

"There's always tomorrow."

"Will you meet with me tomorrow?"

"Of course."

"I'm going to bed. You should get some sleep too."

"Yeah, uh-huh."  
"Oh, who am I kidding, you'll do no such thing."

"Not by choice. I know when most people are supposed to be in bed, but really I'm just staring at the back of my eyelids when I pretend to do the same thing. My biorhythm is so out of sync that I haven't slept in days."

"Don't worry; I'm sure things will return to normal after a while. Out of all the horrible side-effects Wang told me about, that is a relief. 'Til then, Kazuya."

"Sweet dreams."

These days, Kazuya never appeared to be tired despite claiming that he was always awake. She remembered the first few weeks after Devil was done away with—Kazuya was dead to the world. He slept for days on end until one day he awoke and has yet to feel tired enough to require rest. Jun suspected that a pattern would soon form. Weeks of tiredness and wakefulness proportional to one another. It was the tell-tale sign of Devil's influence. Perhaps it was the norm for him to be unconscious for a time and conscious for another. She hadn't been around him when he began working at the Mishima Zaibatsu, but Lee told her that some days he would seem himself and other days he would be completely different. Jun knew the implications. She wondered to herself how scary it must have been losing so much time in one's life, waking up every blue moon unable to recover any memories of the past few weeks. If Kazuya could survive such conditions, then creating a suitable life for himself was a walk in the park.

Today was the beginning, the real beginning. He was finally warming up to the idea of change. Possibilities were open to him, all he needed to do was cease them and Jun would see to it that he did.

/

AN: Not much happened here, but I think I'll just call it a chapter and move on with my life. Til' next chapter. Sokka2Me, didn't know Wang's name was so hilarious. I guess he _is_ an old Chinese man. Sorry, huannguyen, no action here, but you're right, I should add some more of that since it is a Tekken fic. Totally just gave me an idea…


	10. Tennis Shoes

Chapter 10: Tennis Shoes

Kazuya would wonder how he had gotten to this point. It was the sort of question he would ask himself each day and each time he'd come up with a different answer. He'd think about his life, but then not really know where to start. He felt old as if he had experienced everything already. Sometimes he'd feel naïve as if he hadn't experienced enough. Perhaps both were true at the same time. He'd done a lot, but nothing at all. What exactly had he accomplished in life? What did he hope to accomplish if anything? He knew once he began thinking along those lines that he could continue in such a way for hours. He'd be lost in his thoughts and miss days of activity—something he was not proud of. There was only so much thinking one could do. At some point, one needed to do, but do what?

There was one thing he could look forward to doing. Another lunch date. At least, that was what he called it secretly. She had offered her place for him to stay, but Kazuya had declined at the time. He hadn't wanted to intrude. Besides, he was sure he didn't know her as well as she thought he did. He feared losing her to such a degree that he refused to do anything that would cause her to run away from him. He still hadn't known enough of himself to trust that he wouldn't do anything damaging in her presence. He knew that she only wanted to help, but the last thing he wanted to do was to have her discover something horrifying about him, something that would change the way she looked at him now. Simply put, he was being cautious, a trait that was purely his own.

He was very punctual when it came to such things as lunch dates and so was Jun. She had the kind of smile that could brighten his day no matter how depressed he had become. That day there was clearly something she was happy about and she wouldn't spill the beans until he ordered something off the menu. It was only to build suspense, Kazuya concluded. Whether he ordered food or not his reaction would have remained the same. She placed on the table a blue cardboard box with a lid. On the lid was a bright orange check mark. Jun was grinning from ear to ear by then.

"What is it?" Kazuya asked.

"A shoe box, silly. Now open it. I bought something for you last night."

Kazuya wondered what would possess the woman to buy him such a thing, but he didn't complain especially if it might make him sound insensitive. Kazuya was certain that Jun wouldn't appreciate that kind of thing. So without another word, he easily lifted the lid and beheld the most beautiful object he had ever set eyes upon. Crisp and shiny with a new shoe smell that sent shivers down his spine. They were so fresh that he was afraid to even touch them. He knew he was staring for far longer than what was natural, but he didn't care, and he couldn't help it.

"You like?" Jun asked with a decidedly smug voice.

"Yes," Kazuya replied simply—it was the only thing he could think to say at this point. He was still mesmerized by the whole thing mostly because it had caught him off-guard.

"I thought you might. You used to have a whole collection of them back at your grandfather's place."

"Is that so?" Kazuya replied finally taking his eyes off the beauty.

"Wow, you weren't lying when you said you don't remember much of the past."

"You thought I was?"

"I don't know. I was just hoping you were exaggerating is all. I have an idea, Kazuya. Why don't we check out a few athletic shoe stores and see how you like it. There may be a job out there for you yet," Jun said with a smile.

Kazuya wasn't sure that he would be willing to work at a shoe store, but Jun had just offered to take him to see more tennis shoes and he found that he could not pass up the opportunity. Jun seemed to be on a roll today and Kazuya didn't want to trip her up. He agreed to her plans more out of convenience than anything else. They took her car and rode off to the nearest Footlocker.

The first thing Kazuya noted upon stepping inside was, of course, the shoes, but there was also someone at the cash register that attempted and failed at catching his attention along with another sales associate that seemed to be working the floor. Kazuya was visibly uninterested in either of them; he was drawn immediately to the shoes that were on the main display—the only thing that wasn't attractive was the ridiculous price tags, but that didn't deter Kazuya. Luckily, the sales associate was helping another couple so Kazuya remained unhindered that is until Jun interrupted.

"See what that guy is doing?" Jun asked grabbing the other's arm and turning him towards the couple being helped. "When someone comes in, you're supposed to help them find what their looking for. Doesn't that sound like something fun?"

"Not really," Kazuya replied who had already grown bored with the scene and had already continued his browsing.

Then Jun slipped in front of him. "But it's _perfect_. Think about it; if you're responsible for helping other people find shoes, you'd have to be knowledgeable about it in the first place."

"But I'm not knowledgeable."

"Oh really?" Jun said in a tone that suggested that she didn't even begin to believe him. "Says the person who can't keep his eye off the shoe rack. You have to know _something_."

"I can't believe these prices. It's like you're getting swindled." He had stepped over a little so that he could get a better view.

"Kazuya, are you even listening?"

"Yeah, of course. Like I said, I don't know much about shoes. I don't exactly wear sneakers on a daily basis and most people do—those are the kind of people I'd probably be helping."

Jun sighed exasperatedly, "You know, it doesn't really matter. I'm sure they'd teach you how to do it."

There was one magnificent lime green and deep purple shoe that Kazuya couldn't help but pick up so that he could get a closer look. He began to study it so intently that Jun feared that she had completely lost his attention.

"What exactly would I be doing again?" Kazuya asked as he placed said shoe back in its place. His eyes were already scanning the next line of shoes situated vertically to each other.

"Weren't you listening? Helping people find shoes."

"But I don't get it—why can't people find their own shoes. Here they are right in front of you. I bet if you give someone enough time they could pick one themselves without any assistance. I mean, it's their money anyway."

"You can't think like that. The purpose of a sales associate is to get someone to make a purchase as soon as possible."

"Really? That sounds a bit pushy. How can you decide on something like that so quickly?" He found another shoe that caught his fancy and began to study it in the same way.

"Well," Jun said stepping in front of him again, "We can't all be fanatics. To some people, a shoe is a shoe—they just need something to put on their feet."

"Also, the prices. That could certainly narrow someone's choices. But it seems to me, the purpose of a sales associate is to rob someone the opportunity to observe everything before making the final decision." He was still observing the same shoe.

"You always have to look at everything negatively."

"It's my job."

"Think of it. You'd be surrounded by things that you love."

"I'd be totally and utterly distracted."

"Well then, I have the perfect solution. You could come in early before everyone else and then you could have your fill of doing whatever it is you do with shoes, that way when the customers do come in you can have your full attentions on them."

Kazuya finally set the shoe he was studying back on the stand behind Jun's head. "Are you intentionally standing in my way?" Kazuya asked when he noticed her position.

"Yes. Hey—

Jun found herself lifted up a few inches from the floor and placed down completely out of his way beside him as if she was made of cardboard instead of flesh and bone.

"Just think—I would have missed this completely." There was a shoe on a lower level that had caught his attention and he squatted down to get a better look at it.

"Kazuya," Jun said sharply.

"Yes, I heard you."

"Well, what do you think? I mean, you'd have to wake up earlier—

"Jun," Kazuya began slowly, "It's not something one can turn on and off." He was gazing quite intently at the red and black shoe in his hands now. "I'm not so good with people to begin with and I'd only be half paying attention to them, I know that. This store could have the same selections for months and it wouldn't grow old. I'd come in and do the same thing every time. By the way, this shoe would really go with your outfit today."

"Huh? Let me see."

"Hn," Kazuya said as he handed it over to her.

It didn't take long for her to agree wholeheartedly. "Oh, Kazuya, they're perfect," Jun said as she gushed over it. "I didn't even notice it. But the price…"

"See what I mean?"

"I could buy the month's groceries with that amount."

"You could fill up your gas tank four times over."

"Wait a minute. You've just proved my point."

"What point?" Kazuya asked a little confused.

"You'd be the perfect sales associate."

"Not this again."

"I mean it, Kazuya. Just a few moments ago, _that's_ what you'd be doing. It wasn't so hard, was it?"

"But I know you. It's different. I just don't think it would be a good idea." Kazuya stood up then only to turn to a saddened Jun.

"So there's no chance?"

"Aw, come on, Jun, don't look at me like that. It's not the end of the world." But her expression did not change. "Alright."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Jun said with the beginning of a smile.

"I said: alright. I'll try it, but only for a little while."

"You will!" Jun shouted gleefully—she could hardly contain herself. In fact, she hadn't expected Kazuya to agree at all, but it looked like her patience was paying off.

She wrapped her arms around him in an excited manner. Kazuya was a little startled by her reaction. He hadn't known that it meant so much to her in the first place. Needless to say, they were garnering a lot of attention. So much so that that a sales associate approached them perhaps trying to get rid of them.

"Do you have jobs available here?" Jun asked the man who approached them.

"Actually, we do. We get a little shorthanded during the spring and fall when students have to go back to school. What kind of position were you interested in?"

"Sales associate," Jun said automatically.

Kazuya couldn't help but wonder what he had gotten himself into.

/

AN: What? Kazuya working somewhere besides the Mishima Zaibatsu? What is the world coming to? That's right, I decided to lighten things up for a little while. Perhaps Kazuya can finally find some sense of normalcy, settle down with Jun and live happily ever after. No more Devil. No more tournaments. No more family feud. Stay tuned.


	11. The Sales Associate Known as Kazuya

Chapter 11: The Sales Associate Known as Kazuya

Kazuya didn't know what to expect when it finally came down to going into work. Résumés and orientations aside—he still had no idea what he was doing or how anything would turn out. All he knew was that Jun was the happiest she'd been in a long time and Kazuya didn't want to be the cause of such a mood disappearing.

He came in rather early just as she had suggested, but it was no use. It wasn't as if he had the key to the store. He'd have to wait until the manager arrived to even set foot inside and the manager wasn't exactly a punctual fellow. He was a hefty man whose gait continued to remind Kazuya of a penguin without fail. The manager, better known as Tsutomu Abe, took his sweet time. He had been a sales associate once upon a time. Apparently, his hard work and diligence was so exceptional that in a few years he was promoted to manager and it couldn't have come at a more precarious moment in his life. At home, he had been left with two kids to take care of along with a hospitalized aunt who was quickly gathering medical bills. With the kind of money he made now, he could afford to pay for his aunt and the wellbeing of his children. Even more, he had managed to find himself a stay at home wife. Kazuya supposed that a man with money would always look appealing. So it was with Abe—a regular success story. Kazuya only knew of it through the constant retellings, courtesy of his coworkers.

"Oh, Kazuya. Here early, huh. Maybe I should give _you_ the keys to open up," Abe said with a hearty chuckle.

Kazuya wasn't sure if he should be amazed at a late manager making light of his tardiness or the fact that he was able to laugh at such a lame joke. "Maybe," he answered simply.

"It's good, though, for your first day," Abe continued as he still fumbled with his keys.

Kazuya was glad the other didn't look back to see his annoyed expression as he struggled with the keys. He began to wonder if the other had ever worked there in the first place. The first key Abe tried was wrong and so was the second.

"Ho, ho, these keys start looking all the same after a while."

Kazuya could say nothing back to him without it being a smart retort so he said nothing at all and waited as patiently as he could for the man to finally open the door. They came in through the back of the store. Kazuya might have waited in the front as any other employee would if he hadn't known that the manager always came this way instead. Wanting to go inside immediately, he had waited up for the manager. Needless to say, it was pitch black since they were the first two. Kazuya had no idea where the switch might be and apparently neither did Abe who nearly fell down after bumping into a desk. Kazuya, whose eyes were more adjusted to the dark on account of waiting outside, caught him before anything terrible occurred. He wondered how Abe ever got anything done in the morning.

"The new desk must have arrived. Completely threw me off," Abe declared.

Without further incident, he flicked on the lights and showed Kazuya to the front. The scent of fresh, crisp shoes hit his nose immediately and worked to sufficiently calm his nerves. He was so docile that even Paul Phoenix, his self-proclaimed rival, would have trouble antagonizing him. Such was the lure of new sneakers. It was quiet then. None of the other employees had even shown up. Kazuya would learn that everyone who worked there was habitually late. Of course, if the manager didn't demand punctuality or demonstrate it, why would the employees be any different? It was a pretty laid back environment compared to the Mishima Zaibatsu, something to get used to.

"Now don't scare off the customers," the manager warned him. "Standing there with your arms crossed isn't exactly welcoming, is it? They'll sooner think you're a bodyguard or something."

"Understood," Kazuya said back simply.

It was easy to hide his musculature under a suit. There were many layers to such an outfit that aided in this. Unfortunately, sales associates did not wear suits. They had a specific dress code. They had to wear a rather thin shirt that was black in color and had the store's name in the corner of it. Kazuya had opted for long sleeves, but his biceps were still quite visible. Along with the shirt, he wore khaki pants and sneakers. Kazuya was two inches shy of six feet and for the most part towered over his coworkers. There was a reason Abe had went out of his way to warn the other of not scaring away potential customers—Kazuya just seemed intimidating. He could do with more smiling, but the manager wasn't the type of person to enforce such rules. As long as he was accommodating, Abe could deal with it.

Kazuya took the first few hours going over all the shoes. No one had so much as stepped into the store besides two of his coworkers. It was a small store located in the mall. Really, only three people needed to be there to take care of things—there usually weren't any high traffic in the store. Kazuya wasn't surprised—the prices still horrified him to no end. What kind of person in their right minds would spend so much for a pair of shoes when one could go somewhere else and get something similar for a lot cheaper? But Kazuya had to stop himself. He was supposed to be supporting this store not complaining about it. He had to appear willing and accommodating—those were the two things that had gotten drilled into his head from orientation.

"Hey, Kazuya," one of his coworkers known as Yamamoto Taro said slapping him on the back as if they were the best of friends.

Under normal circumstances, Kazuya would not have taken kindly to such a thing, but as was said before, he was quite docile and at the moment involved with a particular shoe that had caught his eye. Taro was completely ignored.

"What time did you get here?" Taro asked louder. "Earth to Kazuya, did you hear me?"

"Huh?"

"I said: when did you get here?"

"A few hours ago."

"Woh, really, man? You're the new guy so I feel it's my duty to inform you—you don't have to come in so early. Abe doesn't care either way. That lazy son of a bitch wouldn't even blink an eye if we came in ten hours late."

"The store says it opens up at a certain time. How do you think the customer feels when they come at the time it's supposed to be open and it's not?"

"Oooh, you're one of _those_ guys."

"Those guys?"

"The do-the-right-thing guy. I guess looks can be deceiving."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Hey, forget I said anything, man."

Kazuya had already grown bored with the other and returned to his studying. "This store is so tardy that even the customers don't come in the morning. Speaking of making a sale, we've already lost the morning crowd." Then he placed the shoe back on the rack.

Taro grinned at this. "Preaching to the choir. Might as well make the best of it."

"Might as well."

Taro was more sticks and bones than anything else. For someone who was short for a man, he appeared to be gangly with his longer limbs. He wore his hair in a ponytail and he was quick to smiling. Kazuya watched as he greeted the customers walking in readily. If anything, he knew how to do his job well. Customers didn't come to him, he came to the customers.

People tended to avoid Kazuya. Whenever someone had a question, they would levitate over to Taro. It wasn't as if Kazuya didn't clearly have a nametag or the attire of an employee. Kazuya noticed this silently. For about half the day, the situation didn't change. In his free time, he simply browsed over the shoes on display over and over again. On his sixth examination, Taro approached him once again.

"I feel like I'm doing all the work," Taro said in low tones to the other, "What gives? You've been looking around at the display like you've lost something. I've already gotten a complaint from one of the customers."

"Complaints?" Kazuya asked in a tone that was as interested as he could muster. "If someone has something to say, just say it."

Taro shook his head. "This is your first day, I'll let it slide. We're supposed to be working here."

Kazuya replaced the shoe he was holding on the shelf and finally turned to the other. "This is beginning to sound like a threat. What is it you're trying to say?"

"A threat, man? Geez, lighten up. I'm just saying you haven't helped any customer and you know they have cameras in here. I was just looking out for you."

"I…understand," Kazuya replied awkwardly. He didn't really know what to say to the other. More and more, he found he just wanted to be left alone and…but, wait, he was working where he would have to interact with other people. Why had he agreed to do any of this?

Just then a couple walked in and, in a second, Taro made his way over to them to "help" them. Kazuya looked on critically as Taro said a few things, the man answered back, and Taro led them to the children's section where he began discussing thing with them. _Fine…I'll just copy him._ An older man walked in two minutes later and this time Kazuya approached him.

"Excuse me, sir," Kazuya said using his rare pleasant tone, "are you…looking for a pair of shoes?"

"Of course I am!" the man said back loudly clearly in a bad mood. "What is the world coming to? I can't even walk into a store in peace. Let me have a look around first."

Unperturbed, Kazuya continued. "Um…was there a…specific kind you were looking for?"

"I said, let me have a look around already, Jesus!"

Kazuya frowned almost subconsciously before he knew it. It didn't take much to ruin his forced good mood. "Listen, old man, I was just trying to assist you. Take your bitchy mood out on someone else, not me."

The man was taken aback by Kazuya's remark. "What a pleasant surprise. I thought you were one of those brainwashed workers. Well, actually I was looking for a specific type. It's for my niece's birthday in a few days. I want to buy her some shoes that'll blow her away. She's the girly type."

It took Kazuya a full five seconds to realize that he _hadn't_ instigated an argument and was actually being asked for help. "The girly type, huh. I think I know a pair that she might enjoy."

"Really? You mean you don't want to run down a list of shoes first?"

"Oh, well…if you want options…"

"No, no, you're fine. I'm really bad when it comes to choices."

"Well, three shoes came to mind, I just picked the best one—the cheapest and most relevant."

"That's perfect."

Kazuya showed him the pair he was referring to. They were beautiful in Kazuya's opinion. He described it so thoroughly and lovingly that the man was sold on it. There was no way he could have decided on something different.

"Thank you, young man. You know, I like you. I can tell you have a bright future ahead of you."

Kazuya was a bit mystified by such a comment. How could anyone tell someone's future? He simply chalked it up to the man being in a good mood. "Thank you, sir."

He watched as the old man went off to the check-out counter. One customer down. He had actually done it and it had went smoother than he had imagined in the first place. Kazuya turned when he felt yet another slap on his back from someone who he rightly assumed was Taro.

"See, that wasn't so bad," Taro said with a smile.

"Not at all," Kazuya answered back.

"Then just keep doing that and you'll be fine."

But then Kazuya didn't expect anything at this point to be "so bad". He could think of dozens of worse situations to be in. People could frown or be upset with him, that was fine. Mostly, he would not be bothered at all by this fact unless they felt the need to get a little more physical and that was quite unlikely.

One of the more busy hours was underway ironically near the time when the store closed. Customer after customer filled into the store and Kazuya found himself helping more and more people. The awkwardness from before was still there, but he was slowly getting used to it. On his own, how often would he ask to help another person? He realized at that moment, that he was often far too engrossed in his own problems to think of others. Jun could probably do this job well while Kazuya was completely out of his element. He wondered if others could tell how inexperienced he was. Every once and a while, he'd look over at Taro and watch as he easily engaged in conversation with the next customer. What exactly could that man be saying? For the most part, Taro drew smiles from people immediately. Kazuya experienced something a little different. Most people were a little confused every time he tried to help them. It was as if they knew it wasn't in his immediate nature to help someone so readily.

Kazuya had just finished convincing a couple to buy the shiny blue tennis shoes for their son, when there was a commotion in the back. All he knew was that there was a lot of yelling and cursing. Taro had already rushed off to the scene. Kazuya, curious of what could be happening went as well. Shoes were strewn everywhere out of their boxes. The woman was screaming and pulling them off the discount shelves. Kazuya wasn't too concerned about the condition of the shoes—he knew them to be quite durable. Taro was having quite a time even getting close to the woman. She'd swing her arms wildly as if in a tantrum and Taro would move back obviously afraid of getting hit. Then Taro looked over at Kazuya.

"What are you doing? Help me out, man!" Taro said frantically upon seeing the other.

Kazuya observed the strange behavior of the woman a little while longer before stepping in. As far as he could see, there was nothing that could have gotten her to this level anger. It didn't even appear as if she had been arguing with anyone. The woman tried to swing at him, but he caught the woman's arms easily in his hands. Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. Taro, for a moment, was too shocked to do anything. Then he went back into action.

"Keep holding her like that—I'll call the police," Taro proclaimed. He was already taking out his cellphone.

The woman looked up at Kazuya fearfully. "Don't hurt me—please don't hurt me!" the woman shouted struggling to no avail to escape his grasp.

"I won't hurt you if you stand still," Kazuya said back. She ceased immediately. There was something…manic about her.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry!"

"Tell me, what did you think you were doing?"

"I didn't mean to! I really didn't."

"But you did or else you would not have done it."

The woman gasped at his statement.

"Are you going to answer my question? What did you think you were doing?"

"Oh dear. Oh…I think I forgot to take my pills. I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry."

"Your pills? For what?"

Just then, Taro hung up his phone. "Kazuya, the police'll be here any minute. Just keep her still." Taro began cleaning up the mess that the woman had created on the ground.

Kazuya nodded to the other and then returned to the woman. "Well? Will you answer already?"

"It's…it's for my bipolar disorder."

Kazuya was quite unprepared for this answer and so was Taro who paused only momentarily. Strangely enough, however, things were beginning to make sense. "So you…"

"I'm really, really sorry," the woman began again.

"I don't understand. Why did you come in the first place?"

"For my brother…" she began hesitantly. "I wanted to…buy him something."

"Yes," Kazuya said becoming slightly impatient waiting for her to explain further.

"Well…then I saw the price…and I got really angry at it. Please don't hurt me…"

"I said I wouldn't," Kazuya snapped.

The woman flinched back involuntarily. "I'm sorry!"

"Are you really sorry?"

"Yes, truly."

"Then clean up your mess."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to unhand you. If you do anything other than what I tell you to do, you won't like the consequences."

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as she was free, the woman began immediately on the shoes and Taro looked on in amazement. She was so fervent that Taro was essentially moved out of the way.

"What in the world…" Taro began in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"If she wants to clean, then let her," Kazuya said before the other could stop the woman.

It wasn't too long before the police showed up and by then the woman had already neatly put away all the boxes she had haphazardly thrown onto the ground. Taro was almost guilty about the whole thing, but Kazuya was more or less indifferent. The situation ended just as quickly as it had begun, but it was perhaps the most excitement Kazuya would see that week.

Customers were customers and even after the first day, Kazuya was already beginning to see the monotony of the whole thing. He hadn't fully gotten the hang of it, people would still look at him awkwardly, but he understood how things worked. When he went home that day, he felt, for lack of a better word, enlightened. Never had he taken so much notice of other people before this day. One person was always so different from the next that he began to wonder why he hadn't seen such things before.

He officially went home around 9pm; after working two shifts and he couldn't remember feeling quite so tired in comparison to his work at the Mishima Zaibatsu. It was one thing to work in an isolated environment, it was quite another to constantly interact with others. It was far more mentally tiring than preparing for some corporate meeting. He had been in charge, people would listen to him regardless of if he was prepared or not. Now, however, he was in charge of nothing and people did not instantly respect him. He was judged over and over and over again in the eyes of each and every customer. He was simply someone who offered assistance to others, nothing more, and nothing less.

As soon as he stepped back into his apartment, he took a quick shower and crashed on his bed. He only slept, however, for two hours. It was perhaps the longest he'd slept in weeks. It was a start if nothing else. Little by little he was regaining his sense of normalcy—something he thought was a lost cause. For the longest time that night, he did nothing at all. Even if he wasn't really asleep, he still didn't feel like doing any extracurricular activities.

It was then that he felt that someone else besides himself was there in his room and he was not at all surprised when he discovered that it was Angel.

"How are you feeling, Kazuya?"

Kazuya looked over at Angel. It was certainly a question that he hadn't expected her to ask so arbitrarily, but eventually he returned to his relaxed position on the bed.

"Fine, I guess."

" 'Fine, I guess'," Angel repeated thoughtfully.

"Yes, parrot."

"You use that term a lot—'I guess'—especially when you're around Jun."

"Hm?"

"You're not certain of anything even of how you feel. You're being cautious, too cautious."

"Did you come here to lecture me? I think Jun beat you to the punch."

"No, I've come to inform you. Devil gave you your certainty. It gave you a purpose, a will, and even more, your personality. You are no longer you without Devil's presence."

"Who's side are you on anyways? Didn't you want to be rid of Devil—isn't that why you came to me in the first place?"

"I came to observe. Yes, I am certainly on your side. I am simply stating things that you know to be true. If you really want to move on, you must accept these facts—how can you fix the problems if you don't know what they are? You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, I suppose."

" 'I suppose'? Are you not sure?"

"…Yes, I'm sure."

"Right. You don't have to put up airs with me. In all reality, you have no real hope of finding yourself if you were to go it alone. You'd be lost for an eternity—you'd die a broken man. Accept Jun's help in any way that you can. She is your lifeline as she has always been."

"You certainly don't sugarcoat things."

"It is not my job to. I've come to inform you of something else, something far more dire."

"Well, as long as it has nothing to do with Devil—

"It has everything to do with Devil. Why do you think I'm still here? If Devil is truly gone, then my purpose here is defunct."

"I just supposed you were keeping tabs, seeing if the aftermath went smoothly."

"I'm not here for your sake, Kazuya—it is important that you know this. I am here because of your connection with Devil and because it has tipped the balance of good and evil. That is my reason. The balance is still tipped."

"Wait, don't tell me—

"Devil still exists. You weren't naïve enough to think Wang's little performance destroyed it, did you?"

"Well…"

"Wishful thinking, but a mere incantation can only slow down an entity such as Devil. It is immortal or a more accurate term, indestructible. The contract you made with Devil is still functional. Devil has control over it and no one else. If it is still dead set on using you for its plans, then there is nothing anyone could do to stop him. The only real way to get rid of him is to renegotiate the terms of that contract. Separating you from Devil does not do that. An invisible spiritual string that only I can see connects you to Devil. If I follow that string, on the other side will be Devil. It will come back for you. This is only a quick fix."

Kazuya was nearly speechless as he looked at Angel this time with a look of dread. "Then tell me. What am I supposed to do about this?"

"There is nothing you can do."

"What…?" Kazuya asked completely at a loss, "What are you saying?"

"I don't particularly like repeating myself."

And suddenly the look of fear turned to anger, "What the hell are you here for anyway? Just to tell me that it's all hopeless. You never have any solutions. The only thing you're good at doing is informing me of how fruitless it all is."

"If there was something more I could do, I would tell you, I certainly would. I thought it would be better if you knew what was going to happen instead of being caught off guard."

"Angel, I don't want to hear any more from you. I fail to see your usefulness. A mere human has done more for me than someone who claims to be an angel."

"Like it or not I'm here. You cannot get rid of me."

"But I can close my ears to you. I'm going to work tomorrow and I will pretend as if this entire conversation never happened."

"Kazuya, what is the point? There's no longer any need for you to 'change your life'. I've told you what will befall you; you should prepare yourself for it."

"I've heard you."

"Then why don't you act on it?"

"Because you annoy me."

"Kazuya—

"Didn't you say you hated to repeat yourself?"

"Fine, then I will leave you to your own devices."

Angel disappeared from his sight, but Kazuya knew that she was still there, always watching him, always observing. Try as he might, he could not simply ignore her presence knowing this fact though he pretended to. He pretended that he was looking forward to tomorrow just as he had a few moments ago. He pretended that he was worried about such mundane things as getting to work on time or figuring out how to better interact with people. He did all of this because he could not bear to think of the alternative. Even so, he was left with a deep sense of foreboding.

_When would it come back? When?_

/

AN: Okay, so I finally came out with another chapter. I'll admit writer's block, but more than that, college has once again started and I've switched my major. Not to mention that a lot of other "life" things have occurred during the summer. Things are just a lot different for me these days. One of the few things I can count on, is this laptop, a word processor, fanfiction, and an impatient audience. I make no promises of when the next chapter might be, but I'll certainly be working on its completion. I foresee quite a bit of drama in the future as the second Iron-Fist Tournament grows closer and closer (unbeknownst to the characters at this point). As always, stay tuned. Reviews are most appreciated.


	12. Obsessed

Chapter 12: Obsessed

Kazuya went in to work for the next day and the next. He was presented everyday with the same challenges and eventually he triumphed. He became so well at assisting others that sometimes, if a customer came there consecutively, they would go straight for him. Somehow, he knew exactly the kind of shoe someone wanted, whether it be for a little girl or an 80 year old man. He knew the tennis shoes so intimately, that he could practically picture them all at once in his mind. He knew which color each and every shoe came in. He knew what kind of sizes and how many of those sizes were available for each shoe. He considered everything when deciding on a shoe that was right for a person including the pricing. Whenever a sale was going on or was about to, he would not hesitate to inform the customers. Whenever he knew that a certain shoe price would be going down, he'd tell all who could gain any benefit from that fact. He was the kind of sales associate who not only knew what he was talking about but loved the subject matter and this fact became clear to the customers. They began to levitate towards him more so than Taro.

Kazuya began to actually enjoy his line of work. He had never once been made responsible for someone else's satisfaction so directly, but now it was his job. Helping someone find a shoe and seeing their relieved or smiling faces struck a chord with him. It was something he hadn't felt before—it was something that gave his life meaning. Certainly, it was a new change of pace. Never had he thought in all his years of living that something so simple could make him feel so fulfilled. He felt himself changing. At first it had been subtle, but now he knew for sure as he greeted the next customer with a surprisingly pleasant smile. He was no longer constantly trying to hide himself from the world. He no longer had to distance himself from people in general. He could simply be himself. He could put all his thoughts and concerns on that one thing. Perhaps this was what Jun had been referring to all those times he had gone to lunch with her. Perhaps this was who he truly was.

As he worked that day, he spied a particularly familiar female out the corner of his eye. He was already helping another customer so Taro had that one. She seemed out of place. She didn't quite strike him as a woman who would care to wear tennis shoes, not even the expensive ones. She leaned against one of the more sturdy displays and seemed completely absorbed in her compact mirror. She was scantily clad in a backless summer dress and wore bright purple gladiator sandals that showed off her lime green toe nail polish. She had dark hair like most other women, but she also had a single golden streak on one side at the very front. Taro tried to get her attention, but he was largely ignored and eventually told to scram and to bring the "other one". It wasn't Taro who she wanted to hear from. She continued at her post until finally Kazuya approached her. It was then that she snapped the small mirror closed and greeted the other with a disarming smile.

"And how can I help you?" Kazuya asked to the smiling woman.

"You really don't know who I am," the woman said as a statement.

"You do look familiar."

"I find it ironic that I'd run into you in an athletic shoe store of all places. Am I ringing any bells?"

"Not at all. Perhaps if you tell me your name—"

"Now that would be too easy."

"Maybe not. If there's one thing I'm bad at, it's recalling people's names."

"It's Aiko."

"Aiko?"

"Is there something wrong with that name?"

"No, it's just I really don't recognize it at all. Are you sure you have the right person?"

"Oh, I'm sure. You're Kazuya, aren't you? I never got your family name, but you're _that_ Kazuya that I once knew. It's not as if your appearance has changed all that drastically. Still with the same ridiculous hairstyle. Although…"

"You probably have the wrong person."

"No, no, you're him," the woman said matter-of-factly. Then she sighed, "You're really gonna' make me say it, aren't you?"

"Say what?"

"At least you have to remember when me and another boy decided that we'd sneak into a grocery store to steal a birthday cake. We might have gotten caught if you hadn't been there. Or the times when you complimented me on my tennis shoes almost every day. Aw, now you're starting to remember."

"Yeah, it's hazy but…"

It was less than hazy and more like a blur of undecipherable images. He only sensed that he should have known her, but he did not. He waited for something clearer, something he could attach a name to, some specificity, but it never came. He knew that this woman who stood before wouldn't simply let the matter rest. She had come all that way and now she wanted some confirmation.

Then finally she rolled her eyes in impatience, "Alright, I tire of games. I went by Becky. We met in an orphanage and you used to hang out with the socially inept Benjamin kid. I don't know how much plainer I can be."

"Becky," Kazuya repeated, "from the orphanage."

The images were just a little clearer now, but there was no hope that he was ever going to fully remember. His experiences at the orphanage simply weren't things that had stuck out to him. He knew only that he had spent some time there, but that was all.

"Sorry, I'm no good at remembering things like that. Becky, what brings you here?"

"You've really changed, you know that?"

She gave him a look that was only then beginning to make him feel uncomfortable. There was something he was missing here, but he didn't know what. It was impossible for him to know what.

"People change," Kazuya volunteered. "Perhaps it is for the better."

"Yeah, I guess they do. This is really your job now. You know, I never pictured you working at such a mundane place."

"Mundane?"

"I mean, it's not what I imagined at all. I'm just glad you're alive and well. You gave us—Benjamin and I—quite a scare."

Something must have happened, Kazuya was now sure of it, but he could not remember what. Seeing as this woman and another man was still alive, then it must not have been dire.

"Well, you seem to be doing better now," Kazuya offered.

"Likewise. Had it not been for you, I don't think I'd be here now. I'd like to ask how you've been, but I guess that's a little much to inquire all of a sudden. Maybe we could talk at greater lengths someplace else."

"I do have a lunch break in a few hours."

"Good, then it's a date. I'll wait up for you."

Aiko left immediately after. It was obvious that she had not come for the shoes at all, but it was far less obvious how she had found him in the first place. Kazuya didn't know all the details. Perhaps there had been something he had said in the past that had helped her to find him after such a long period of time. Perhaps she was just pulling his leg. Kazuya couldn't say one way or the other. The only thing he could say was that whoever she was, she certainly didn't seem like she hailed from an orphanage. Kazuya wasn't one for taking much notice of fashion, but the way she dressed certainly caught his eye. Even as she walked away, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

"Aw man, you _know_ that girl?" Taro asked breaking him from his gaze.

"Yeah, seems that way."

Taro grinned, "I hear ya—I'd pretend I knew her too."

"Maybe I do know her, but there's only one way to find out."

"Well, whatever you do, make sure you tell me the details later."

"Huh?"

"Don't let me down."

Before Kazuya could inquire further, Taro was already off greeting the next customer. Perhaps their planned lunch date wasn't quite as innocent as Kazuya had first assumed, but she did genuinely want to "catch back up" with him. While it was still a little odd to run into her, it was equally odd that she seemed so fixated on him. It was too bad that he couldn't remember the kind of relationship he had had before with her. He might have known her true intentions beforehand.

When his break came around, he met back up with her and they decided on a café near where he worked. In the past before he started work at the shoe store, Kazuya had spent most of his lunches with Jun, but their lunch breaks never seemed to coincide and they worked too far apart to bother trying to figure out how to get such things to work. Communication had also grown scarce between them what with both of them working and usually coming back late from their jobs too tired to do anything else besides sleep.

"So how has it been for you, Kazuya?" Aiko inquired over a cup of steaming Jasmine tea.

"It's been fine I guess. A lot of things have happened. It's only just recently that I've taken up this line of work."

"What were you before?"

"A CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu."

Aiko nearly choked on her tea. "What a minute, you're _that_ Mishima? The whole time, you were part of _that_ family? There really is more to you than meets the eye. What made you quit?"

"It wasn't just one thing. I just didn't want to do that any longer—it wasn't…fulfilling. So I decided to switch employments."

"Talk about switching—that was a complete 180."

"And what about you? I have no idea what you've been doing this whole time."

"A lot has happened to me as well, you can say. Benjamin and I, we were adopted. I mean after what happened, we were the only two survivors besides you—and everyone wanted to adopt us. I never imagined that I'd actually have to _choose_ who was to adopt me. Wherever it would be, I wanted it to be with Benjamin—he was the only other person I could talk to. The Suzukis took us in and boy were they rich. Their only real daughter had bipolar disease, but they wanted "normal" children and the mother was too damaged to ever give birth again. They treated us like one of their own. It was a good time for Benjamin and I—we're practically brother and sister. Oh, you should see him now, Kazuya. You wouldn't recognize him at all. He's such a lady's man. You couldn't tell he ever used to have a stuttering problem and now he wears contacts. As for my employment, I'm a model for the time being and Benjamin, he's into cars—maintaining them, remodeling them, racing them—anything dealing with cars he knows how to deal with it."

"It's funny that you mention someone with bipolar disease. A while back, there was a woman who went off about the prices back at the store. She caused a bit of a scene."

"I know. She's my sister—adopted sister, that is. You want to know how I found you—Emiko wouldn't shut-up about the really stern, muscular guy who made her clean up her mess. You really left quite an impression on her. It's easy for someone like her to become, what should I say, 'obsessed' with something or someone. She said your name was Kazuya Mishima. That coupled with the detailed description she gave of you—I had to go see for myself if it was possible that you were the same Kazuya of before. I'm so glad I checked up on that."

"So that was Emiko. How is she anyways?"

"She's doing fine now. I guess she just forgot to take her medicine. She can be really ditzy sometimes. I think she got overly excited about Benjamin's birthday and ran off to the store before she was actually ready to."

"Well, I'm glad the situation worked itself out."

"It was no biggie. This isn't the first time something like that happened. But enough about her. There was something I wanted to ask you." She began to talking in lower tones. "Benjamin told me about _it_."

"It?"

Aiko sighed, "You don't have to keep it a secret. I know why the orphanage burned down…and it wasn't your fault."

"Becky—

"You can call me Aiko."

"Aiko, then, I really have no clue what you're talking about. I have a confession. I hardly remember anything that far back. You _seem_ familiar, but that's all. Right now, I'm just taking your word for it."

"What happened to you, Kazuya," Aiko said in a deeply concerned tone. "That's really drastic, you know. Not really knowing your own childhood. How long has it been that way?"

"It was recent. It's not something I want to talk about."

"That's alright. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I can't imagine what it must be like. I must have been a complete stranger back there and here I was demanding that you remember things. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for things like that. You didn't know. What you see right now. Who I am right now. That is all I need."

"No," Aiko said shaking her head. "Memories are part of what make us who we are. Without them you lose a part of yourself—in fact, you're _not_ yourself at all."

"And you're now an expert in these kinds of things?"

"It's just something I believe. Take it or leave it. I guess I'm just being bothersome now. I told Benjamin about you, but I guess you really have no motivation to want to meet him again. It's a shame though, you two had a special relationship."

"I'll meet with him."

"Really? You still want to?"

"Maybe I'll remember something."

"Listen, I don't know if you have a girlfriend or something like that, but if you ever need someone to talk to—I'm usually available. Here's my number." She pulled out a napkin from the canister and wrote down her number before passing it over to him.

"And here's mine," Kazuya said replicating the same process.

"There. Now we can keep in touch."

The longer Kazuya spent with Aiko, the more he began to wish that he _did_ remember her. She was easy to talk to. In fact, Kazuya couldn't remember a time that he had held a conversation for quite so long. She'd smile infectiously at him and Kazuya would be reminded over and over again how beautiful she really was. Now that he was at such a close range for a longer period of time, he began to notice the subtleties of her beauty—how well-proportioned her face was, her small, rounded nose, and the fullness of her bright red lips. She wasn't overly skinny, but rounded off in just the right places. And her height, Kazuya had recalled, was an inch shy of himself—she was quite tall for a woman even with wearing such flat shoes. Her hair smelled of mangos and the rest of her smelled of cherries. That, with the bright colors that she wore, reminded Kazuya of a tropical smoothie. Perhaps that was what she was going for. Everything about her was fresh and untouched. And when his lunch break inevitably came to a close, he noticed that even her walk added to her beauty. She was quite confident about herself and self-assured. It was something that caught him off guard.

Aiko had promised to bring Benjamin next time if he could find some time off. She seemed quite excited about this, but Kazuya hardly had an opinion at all. Benjamin would simply be another stranger in his life who claimed to know him. Still, it would prove to be quite interesting.

/

Kazuya came into the work that day early as usual, but there was a certain pep in his walk. He was in a far better mood that day and Taro noticed it instantly.

"You're meeting her again today, aren't you?" Taro accused the other promptly.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, apparently."

"You lucky dog," Taro proclaimed, "Catching up, he says. Right, don't make me laugh."

"Yes, catching up, that is all."

Taro gave the other an unbelieving look.

"Don't you have work to do already?" Kazuya said exasperatedly.

Taro shrugged and scurried without another word, but he hadn't needed to say anything else. He had certainly gotten his point across. All Taro had seen was a beautiful woman and when a woman like that begins to show interest in one particular man, the conclusion seems obvious. From the outside looking in, one could easily figure out where it all was leading towards, but Kazuya did not see this. Such things were the furthest from his mind. He was trying to build a life for himself and he was just then getting used to it. Sure, he hadn't called Jun in a while and communication was little or nothing between them by now, he still thought of her as a close friend if not something more. They're relationship was up in the air as of late and neither one of them had had time to sort things out, but more than that Kazuya was less inclined than ever to do such a thing, not when Devil still lurked in the shadows. Thus far, he had not heard or sensed Devil at all, but still…Such thoughts he put to the back of his mind. He ignored them altogether in favor of less stress. He felt like "himself" now and he wanted it to remain that way.

On lunch break, he met back up with Aiko and within a few minutes of sitting Benjamin showed up as well. If Kazuya had remembered him at all from before, he might have been surprised at his appearance. He looked nothing like himself. His hair was pulled back with a few shorter strands falling onto his forehead. He no longer wore eyeglasses and his crystal blue eyes were far easier to notice because of it. He had a medium muscular build, but then again, he did work on cars constantly—it came with the territory. He was average height and not at all imposing, but most of all he was what most women would say a pretty boy. Benjamin might have been expecting more of a reaction out of Kazuya, but a brief acknowledgement of his presence was all he received.

"Wow, you really weren't playing around when you said he doesn't remember anything," Benjamin said presently to Aiko as he sat down at the table with them.

Kazuya looked at Benjamin and saw nothing even vaguely familiar. "I apologize. I keep wondering if perhaps you have the wrong person."

"No, no, you're the right person," Benjamin said in a tone that had been similar to Aiko's when she had said it. "Just what I'd expect from a train-aholic. You do still train, don't you?"

"Not really, not as of late."

"Really? I couldn't imagine anything that could change your mind about training."

"I guess I…had a change of heart."

Benjamin was mystified by this response, but he didn't ask any more about it. "In case you're wondering what I've been doing for these past years, I've been working with cars. I had no idea how much I liked them until my adoptive father bought me a car for my birthday. It was love at first sight."

"More like obsession at first sight," Aiko clarified. "He'd spend days on end sometimes forgetting to even eat just working on cars—fixing them, adding things to them. You should see his collection of it. It's ridiculous!"

"Well, I'm glad you found something that you like to do," Kazuya responded.

"It's a really good feeling, you know, when you've found something you'd like to do for the rest of your life. When I first met you, that was the one thing I was jealous about. Clearly, you derived pleasure from training so hard. There was a goal you were pursuing and you just went for it—no one could tell you any differently."

"I never gained any satisfaction from training. It was just something I thought I had to do at the time. And, yes, I had a goal—albeit stupid and self-absorbed. But that's not me anymore. I'm simply a—

"Sales Associate who works in a shoe store, right, right," Benjamin said finishing his sentence. "Do you really believe the words coming out of your mouth? It's like you're trying to be something you're not."

"Why do you suddenly think you know me so well? I haven't been a kid in a long time and you think you can just make conclusions based off of that? As if time has had no factor in any of it."

"Oh, you were easy to read, just like you are now," Benjamin said back. "You may think a lot of things have changed, but I could tell it was you instantly upon seeing you. There was no doubt in my mind that you were Kazuya. The Kazuya from the orphanage."

"Do you know how common the name 'Kazuya' is around here?"

"It's not just the name, of course. But we're not going to argue about that anymore. Let's just pretend that you are that person. I haven't said anything to convince you that I didn't know you. You did train a lot when you were younger. You have to have remembered that, at least."

"Yes, I did. Keyword: _did_. That's not what I do anymore."

"Alright, I understand," Benjamin said putting his hands up, "Say no more. So, what you're doing now?-you like that?"

"I see nothing wrong with my employment."

"Yes, but do you like it?"

"What are you, a psychiatrist?"

"Once upon a time, I had wanted to be one. I had wanted to understand why people acted the way they did—but I could never fully grasp it. I guess I just didn't like how people could be put into such neat categories. I'm not asking as a psychiatrist anyways—I just wanted to know as a friend."

"We're not friends."

Benjamin grinned at this. "You know, you always said that to me—but that never stopped me before. Do you truly enjoy being a sales associate? Was that the dream you had for yourself?"

"I don't need dreams. I need something solid, here and now. To answer your question, I do enjoy coming into work."

"To each his own, I suppose. There is one thing I really wanted to ask you."

"Might as well get this over with quickly."

"Whatever became of "it". That…evil spirit, I guess that's what you would call it. You had the hardest time keeping it under control. Either you've gotten better overtime or…"

"Or what?"

"I don't know. Maybe I thought you'd add something or confirm my suspicions."

"For a complete stranger, you sure want to know a lot of things," Kazuya said standing up, "It's not something I want to talk about."

"Sorry, maybe I was being too inquisitive. I do that sometimes especially if it's something that interests me."

"It has nothing to do with you. Let the matter rest."

"Alright. Just leave me hanging. It'd be completely in your character to do so. Just like old times when you wouldn't tell me things. Exactly like that."

"This is _not_ like 'old times'. Whoever I was before, I'm not like that anymore," Kazuya said sitting down thinking better on things, "Because I'll tell you what happened."

Aiko and Benjamin were all ears.

"It is gone."

"Wait, what?" Benjamin asked when the other did not continue.

"The spirit you speak of is gone."

"But how?" Aiko asked.

"It was exorcised."

"Wow," Benjamin said caught off guard, "It sounds so obvious. Did that actually work? Are you sure it's gone that easily?"

"Yes, of course," Kazuya said quickly as he stood up once again. "Now, I really must go. It was nice meeting you, Benjamin."

"Wait," Aiko said just as Kazuya was making his leave. He turned back to her in acknowledgement. "Nevermind," she said and then watched as he disappeared out of the little café.

He seemed in a rush and Aiko didn't want to annoy him anymore than she already had.

"Wasn't there something you wanted to say?" Benjamin asked teasingly to Aiko.

Aiko blushed and then looked away from him. "It's just…not the right time. Besides, you were being too pushy."

"What do you mean, 'not the right time'. I've never heard you say that about anything you really wanted."

Aiko looked down. "Maybe I won't say anything…"

"Alright then," Benjamin said as he took up his cup of root beer. "Just hope you don't regret it in the end. I have to go too. You know my schedule."

Eventually Aiko was left by herself. She only continued to sit there for a short while longer deep in thought before finally leaving for another photo shoot that evening. She'd certainly be kept busy today.

/

For Kazuya, the day couldn't get any more normal and routine. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred. He had become so well at his job that he didn't really have to waste too much brainpower to accomplish it as it had been in the past. It only meant that he could think on other things and his mind kept returning to Aiko. She had pretty much volunteered her entire life story in a short summary without even being asked. In fact, he hadn't asked her much of anything yet he felt as if he knew more about her than he did himself. He couldn't fit his life into a nice neat summary. Not only were pieces missing, he was certain that even if they weren't they would be too embarrassing to want to share to an everyday stranger. Everything worked out for her. Being adopted into such a rich family had to be pure luck. That she was further made fortunate with good parents, good sense, and good genetics was doubly so. There were people who more often than not got the shorter end of the stick and then there were people like Aiko. Maybe it was a sign for him to come in contact with someone so well off. Perhaps her good luck could rub off on him. Luck was the only thing he could count on. It was the only thing he knew that could beat even the most impossible of odds, even Devil's reappearance. Since Angel had said it, Kazuya had not heard from Devil and instead of it making Kazuya more anxious and paranoid, he began to take Angel's warning for granted. Perhaps Devil would not come. Perhaps he was simply lucky.

Kazuya closed up late again as usual whenever it was his turn to do so. He might have closed earlier, but his eternal obsession with tennis shoes would not let him. When he was alone, he could inspect and observe each and every shoe to his heart's desire without getting ridiculing stares. Just as he was locking up the doors, he heard footsteps, or more like the clicking of high heels, coming towards him. By the time Kazuya took the key out and put them back in his pocket, the footsteps had become quite close. When he looked up, he knew exactly who it was.

"Aiko? What are you doing here? You know the store's closed now at this late hour."

"Yeah, I know," Aiko responded when she was a little closer, "I never come to your store looking for shoes."

"Then why—

"For you, of course."

They were standing now only inches apart just outside the backdoor of the store in the dead of night. The crickets by then were quite loud. Had they been any closer, they might have drowned out their voices.

Kazuya paused before he responded. "This sounds like something we should discuss some other time."

"No," Aiko said shaking her head. "I just can't wait any longer. I know I might seem a little pushy, but I have to say this. Since the day I first met you, I've always been…well, fond of you. I know you don't remember the past all that well, but my feelings remain. I always hoped that you were somewhere alive and well even if I had no idea whether you still lived or not. I think subconsciously, I believed I would run back into you again. So I waited and waited. I tried to move on but I couldn't. I tried to find someone else to fill that void, but it never happened. And then one day as if my prayers had been heard, I find you once again. I really just want to be with you."

"Aiko…"

"No, you don't have to respond now. I just wanted to say this before I never got the chance to do it."

"That's a long time to keep someone in your heart—especially for a person you have no idea even deserves such devotion." Kazuya sighed. "Listen, it's already pretty late. I'm far too tired to be thinking about all this now. We can talk about this later, alright?"

"When?" Aiko asked, "I mean, when would be a good time?"

"Later," Kazuya answered.

"Never," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Just later."

Aiko frowned at the other. "Well, let me give you one more thing to think about."

Kazuya had no idea what she was talking about—he was utterly unprepared when she kissed him quite firmly on the lips. They were soft, enticing lips that beckoned a response from the other and before he knew it, he found himself kissing her back mystified and curious all at the same time. His cellphone in his back pocket began to vibrate incessantly and then stopped. Then it started again only to stop again. The whole time, Kazuya had not even noticed. He was so entranced that his mind was elsewhere. Eventually, he did pull away. Had he not done so, she might have continued.

"That's all I came to say to you," Aiko said turning away from him.

Kazuya was left speechless as he watched her slender legs stalk off towards the parking lot. Then his cellphone vibrated again, but this time he noticed it. He looked on the caller ID and then his eyebrows creased at the name.

"Yes? Is there any reason you're calling me this late?"

"Oh don't give me that," Jun responded with a little annoyance, "I never complain when _you_ call me this late."

"This is true. Now what did you want?"

"I guess I'll just have to get straight to the point then. I have something important to say."

"It seems everyone has something important to say today."

"I guarantee you, Kazuya, mine will be the most important."

"Inevitably."

"I don't know how else to say this, but…I'm pregnant."

There was a long span of silence before anyone said anything. Surprisingly, it was Kazuya who spoke first.

"…Right now?"

"Yes, right now. Two months pregnant."

"Why are you telling _me_ this?"

"Are you serious, Kazuya? You're the only person I had sex with two months ago, that's why."

"But are you sure? I mean…it was safe."

"The only thing 100% safe is abstinence, but you knew that already, right? I'm telling you right here and now without a doubt _you_ are the father, like it or not."

Kazuya hung up the phone quickly and stared at the phone like it had turned into his worst nightmare. He couldn't believe his ears. In fact, he was more horrified by it than anything. His phone began to vibrate again over and over and over again, but Kazuya did not respond to it.

"No…not now. I'm just not ready."

/

AN: Annoyed with Kazuya in the last chapter? Well you might just be ready to burst right about now. Maybe he'll regain some of that confidence he once had, maybe not. Seems a Devil-free Kazuya is more trouble than it's worth. Stay tuned.


	13. Alignment

AN: Some POV changes within the chapter. It's happened in other chapters, but I just want you to know that I know as well. It's intentional and sometimes I just can't help myself. It was supposed to be exclusively in Kazuya's POV. As of now, the story is _mostly_ in his POV but not completely. Without further ado…

Chapter 13: Alignment

He became so weak with astonishment that had he been a more emotional man, he might have fallen to his knees in despair. He stared at the phone in his hand that shook involuntarily. What did this mean now? Was he now to be a father? And what kind of father was he capable of being with Devil a-nipping at his back? How would he turn out to be any better than his own father? That was what horrified him the most—that he'd simply become the very person he hated the most. Even if his child wasn't subject to his presence, even if he chose not to acknowledge this unborn child—eventually he or she would come to know who he was. He had no doubt that Jun would waste no time in telling the child who he was. Jun wasn't the type to lie or hide things even if it could be to someone else's benefit. It was better that the child never knew him in the first place or never actually meet. How long did he have before Devil came back? Before, he was all but willing to abandon the very idea that Devil would sooner or later come back. That was only fine when it dealt only with him—now he could not be quite so ignorant.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he failed to hear the clinking of metal as armor moved in sync with a person's movement. Kazuya was not aware of another presence until he saw its silhouette out the corner of his eye. Under the circumstances, any man dressed up in such a strange get up would have surprised the living daylights out of the unsuspecting person, but Kazuya's mind went immediately to Yoshimitsu, the oddball ninja from the very first King of Iron Fist Tournament. He still looked menacing and unapproachable. He still wore far too much armor and if Kazuya had to guess, he still had the same annoying agility and attack power.

"Kazuya…" Yoshimitsu began.

This time, Kazuya couldn't even discern where his mouth was.

"I've been watching you."

"Yeah…you do that a lot, don't you?"

"For the sake of the world, of course. I have determined through much analysis and from what I have seen, that you are simply too dangerous to keep alive. I admire the pains you took to stop yourself from the doing the inevitable, but you have to realize that there is not much that you can do. Devil will return eventually one way or the other and you will continue where you left off. You will do these things whether you want to or not. It is my duty to keep peace in this world, to the best of my ability."

Kazuya could have done several things at that moment: plead his case, explain the situation better to him, use the fact that he was soon to be a father as a way of guilt tripping, or beg for the other not to kill him. These things, all of them, did not seem up his alley at all nor did he feel like doing any of it. When Kazuya heard the "zing" of Yoshimitsu's sword being unsheathed, he felt that he had no other choice but to enter combat with the other.

Fighting. It was almost a foreign thing to Kazuya. He hadn't so much as raised his fists in a very long time and he felt out of sorts when he moved into his familiar fighting stance.

"I see you understand the way of things," Yoshimitsu said as he watched the other evenly. "Now die."

Yoshimitsu was just as quick as ever and his skills had flourished over the years. A sword against fist was an over kill in itself, but when coupled with Kazuya's rusty technique, it was a slaughter. Kazuya knew better than to attack head on. He kept his eye on the other's blade and miraculously evaded every single downward and sideways sword swipe. It was no easy feat. Yoshimitsu would twirl and side-step so expertly that Kazuya found himself in a kind of dance instead of actual fighting. But Yoshimitsu did not simply rely on his sword. When he thought the other was growing too comfortable evading his sword, a nice, sharp thrust of his fist sent Kazuya toppling to the ground, but Kazuya was quick to leap back to his feet before Yoshimitsu could unleash the finishing stroke. Had it not been for adrenaline, Kazuya feared he might have already been sliced in half.

Yoshimitsu's sword was everywhere. Kazuya could hear it constantly slicing through the air rapidly and always inches away from him and getting ever so closer. Kazuya knew that soon he'd be out of breath and far too slow to dodge anything if he did not start his assault soon. Kazuya's fighting style did not allow for such panicky dodging maneuvers and compared to a surprising amount of fighters, he did not have an exceptional amount of stamina. He thrived on short, quick fights. One solid attack from Kazuya often took far more out of a person than first realized. For a typical fight, three electrically charged attacks would be enough. In this instance, however, Kazuya couldn't even so much as land one attack.

He knew the fight was becoming more and more out of his favor when Yoshimitsu was able to connect one smooth twirl kick that sent Kazuya spinning through the air. He hit the ground awkwardly on his back and was just a little slower about getting back to his feet, but that was enough. Yoshimitsu came down on him with a fierce downward slice, deeply wounding the other's shoulder midway of his evasion attempt. Kazuya cried out and held his left shoulder tenderly as blood began to spill. Kazuya haphazardly moved out of the way when Yoshimitsu spun on his feet for yet another roundhouse kick. Yoshimitsu grew more and more fervent as he watched the other grow weaker. He sliced Kazuya quite a few times across the chest, legs and both arms before he was no longer able to move and beginning to feel dizzy from blood loss.

"You're only a shadow of the man you used to be. You fight like a man inexperienced. I almost feel guilty for what I am about to do."

Kazuya couldn't remember feeling quite so defeated as he did at this moment. He was too weak to even defend himself properly. His head was bowed in a perfect position for a sword to slice cleanly through his neck, but he did so intentionally. If he was to die, he wanted it to be as painless and quick as possible. He closed his eyes as he waited for the end. He thought of all the problems that would be solved if he was no longer in this world, but then he thought of one other thing—his unborn child. His moment of peace was shattered with a single thought. It wasn't as if he could improve the situation as it was now. It wasn't as if he had actually considered being there for Jun and their child anyway.

"No! Stop!" shouted a voice in the distance.

Kazuya didn't even have to waste time trying to look up and see who it was—the voice had belonged to Aiko. He heard her feet come pounding towards him, but of course she couldn't reach him.

"Leave him alone! You can't kill him, whatever you do!" Aiko yelled angrily at the person who stood in the way.

"And what do you plan to do if I simply ignore you?" Yoshimitsu asked to the woman.

"You can't; you just can't!"

"I came here for a specific purpose and no one will stop me."

"I will," Aiko responded threateningly.

Kazuya had no idea what the other planned to do. He might have used this moment of distraction to his advantage, but he was already struggling to remain at least conscious. Blood was pooling so freely that a small pond was beginning to form beneath him. He dared not even look at it for it would only serve to remind him of just how close he was to death altogether. At this rate, Yoshimitsu didn't have to finish him off—he'd die anyways without anyone's help.

Kazuya heard Yoshimitsu take one step away from him and towards Aiko.

"Do you understand what you've gotten yourself into, woman?" Yoshimitsu questioned.

"I do. I know you mean to kill this man and I can't let you do that."

"I am the leader of the Manji clan—protector of the innocent."

"Is _that_ what you are?" Aiko said in a belittling tone, "All I see is a maniac slashing around with his sword attempting to kill a man in cold blood. Is that how you protect the weak? That man can hardly even protect himself yet you insist on trying to get rid of him. The only thing I see in front of me is a bully."

"You don't fully understand the situation."

"Why don't you practice what you preach? If you're truly protecting the weak, let this man go. If there was some point you wanted to drive home, I'm sure Kazuya is well aware of it by now."

"Are you vouching for him?"

"If that's what it takes for you to leave him alone."

"I cannot simply ignore the actions of a brave woman such as yourself. If you want this man to live, then I will honor your request. Just know this, once he gets out of hands again, I will finish this."

The ninja vanished without a trace right before her eyes, but Aiko didn't have time to wonder. As soon as she could, she ran over to Kazuya who was by now just barely conscious.

"Kazuya, I'm here. I'll bring my car over and we can go to my place."

"No," Kazuya said shaking his head. "My place."

"Alright, just point me in the right direction."

Kazuya was left alone for a few moments as Aiko ran off to get her car. She positioned the car so that the passenger's side was within arm's length of the other. Stepping out of the car, she opened the passenger's side door, but when she tried to help the other to his feet, she was pushed away—not hard or with force, but pushed away all the same. Kazuya managed to stand up all on his own but not without struggle. When Aiko saw he could do the rest himself, she ran back to the driver's seat and waited for the other to settle down. Her interior would be terribly stained with Kazuya's blood, but she didn't care—she'd just have her brother change it out for her. When Kazuya closed the door, Aiko sped off out of the parking lot and down the street.

"That was stupid, you know that?" Kazuya said to the other.

"Well what was I supposed to do? Let you die?"

"It was none of your concern…but I'm thankful."

Aiko glanced over at the other. His hands seemed completely crimson and since he had gotten into the car, he hadn't so much as raised his head to look at her.

"So are you going to tell me why there was some strange ninja guy trying to kill you?"

Aiko heard the other recline the chair so that he could sit back, but he said nothing to her.

"Hey, hey, don't do that right now. Aren't you going to tell me where to go?"

He had already closed his eyes. "Take the nearest interstate, take the third exit, pass the large intersection, go right when you see the large orange grocery store. Keep going down that street until the cul-de-sac. First house on the left."

"Got it. But you gotta' promise me that you'll stay alive until then."

"I will."

But even as he said it, it just didn't seem like he would. Still as he was, he might have already been dead.

"So are you going to tell me what was happening?"

Again all she received was silence.

"Hey! I saved you and this is all I get in return?"

More silence.

"Kazuya?" Aiko asked becoming a little frightened, "You're still alive right?"

"Yes, of course," Kazuya finally responded in a tone that suggested that he was annoyed.

"Geez, don't do that to me."

"Tell me, what did you plan to do back there if that man hadn't backed down?"

"Well…I guess I would've been chopped down. I don't know how to fight at all."

"Why put yourself in that kind of situation?"

"For you, Kazuya. Maybe I should just tell you now…I would do anything for you, if only you asked."

"Silly woman."

"What? Is that all you can say?"

"You'd kill yourself for my sake. It's silly. That's not love."

"Oh, and you're the expert on that."

"If you truly cared for someone, you'd live for them no matter what."

"So I should have just left you there?"

"What's done is done."

"Yeah…I guess it is," she said with a sigh, "Do you have bandages at your place?"

"Yes," Kazuya replied simply.

They were already on the interstate and Aiko was driving at the speed of light. Even if he was talking now, every time she chanced a look over at him, blood was in so many places that it looked as if he should have already died.

"Kazuya, what is it that you live for?"

"Aiko…you and your weird questions. I'm already getting dizzy as it is."

"So you won't answer? You said, if you loved someone, you'd live for them. Well then who is it? You wanted to live…for me, right?"

"I met you just a few days ago and before that I had no idea you even existed."

"That's right…memory loss."

"I still can't remember. You're simply…the pretty girl who claims to know me."

"I could be more than that, you know. I want to be more than that. Even if it wasn't me who you lived for, I still want to mean more to you."

"I'd rather that it was you who saw me like this and no one else."

"I see…Will we just be friends then? Kazuya?"

He was silent once again, but she decided this time that she would not push her luck. They were almost there anyway.

"Just a little longer, okay?"

His silence was beginning to worry her. When she saw the large grocery store, Aiko looked around for any police cars and then sped past the red light as she swerved onto the right turn he had mentioned. She floored it when all she had to do was keep going straight into the cul-de-sac. Sure enough, she found it and stopped the car with a loud screech.

"We're here!" Aiko said in a loud voice to get his attention. "We made it home!" When he didn't respond this time, she began to panic. "Kazuya? Are you still…?"

She placed two fingers on the side of his neck near his chin to check his pulse—it was still there pumping very slowly and surely, but he was pretty much passed out. She'd have a hard time getting him to the house, perhaps even too hard. It didn't seem worth it at this point. She feared that if she moved him too much it would have adverse effects. Instead she got out of the car, opened up the passenger's side and fished through his pockets to grab his keys. She found them easily enough and scrambled to the house so that she could find some bandages. Luckily, Kazuya was a somewhat logical person who kept such things in the cabinet in the bathroom. She took all she could and ran back out to the car and began her work.

/

He awoke the next day only when the sun was in just the right position to beam directly at his eyes. His eyes squinted at all the intensity and out of habit began to lift himself up, but realized first of all that he was far weaker than usual and second of all, he was still inside Aiko's car.

"Kazuya! You're awake. I must have done _something_ right."

Kazuya looked towards the excited woman. "I guess I didn't exactly make it to the house."

"That's alright. Everything turned out for the best."

Kazuya looked down at himself and all the shoddy bandaging Aiko had managed to do. There was a lot more there then perhaps needed to be and the lower half of him—from his chest down—seemed more like a mummy than an actual bandaged human.

"Thorough," Kazuya said with a grin.

"Hey, I'm no expert. It's better to have too much than not enough."

"True," Kazuya said simply.

When he tried to open his door, he realized that both his hand were completely wrapped up so that they were more like a snowman.

"Your…cellphone was ringing earlier for a while. Looks like some Jun person was trying to get in contact."

"Did you answer it?" Kazuya asked with slight panic.

"No, of course not. It's not my phone. Just thought you should know."

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

He continued in his endeavor to open the door until Aiko walked over and opened it for him.

"You're welcome," Aiko said when he didn't give his thanks.

He climbed out of the car slowly so as not to fall on his face. He had dealt with a weakness far worse than this however; he could certainly manage now.

"Aiko, thanks for last night. There is someone who I want to live for and you allowed me to do that."

Aiko looked away when he said this. "That someone just isn't me, right? It's that person who keeps calling you."

"It's none—

"Of my concern. Yes, I know. You say that when you don't feel like explaining yourself to someone."

"You feel as if it is your right to know everything about me?"

"Well…"

"I think I'll be fine for now," Kazuya said cutting across her, "I'm sure you have other things to do today besides nursing."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be left alone like this? Oh, I understand now. You're going to call that woman."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I don't want her to see me like this. So, no, I won't be calling her. Now if you're satisfied—

"Yes, yes, I'm leaving. I _do_ have other plans. But just know this. If there's anything you need, you just be sure to call me. I won't judge you. Not ever."

Still with her very high and skinny heels on, she walked over to her side and got into the car. Kazuya closed his door and stepped away. Just like that the shiny, sleek blue car sped around the cul-de-sac and dashed down the street. She seemed to be in a hurry.

Kazuya made his way with care to the front door and found the first place where he could sit—the living room. He was still tired and in pain all over, not to mention uncomfortably wrapped in bandages. He made himself comfortable on the couch and laid out on it. As soon as he did, however, he sensed another presence in the room. At first, he thought it was Angel and called out her name, but she never answered. It was too much of a struggle to try and sit up again so he didn't.

"Devil…" Kazuya said heavily. "You took your sweet time."

"I waited for the most opportune moment as I usually do. It's better that you don't resist."

Kazuya could feel its familiar presence inside of him almost instantly. There was really no time at all for resistance. Devil was simply there once again and Kazuya was simply plunged once again into darkness as if the entire process was natural. He could feel no more physical pain and he could no longer tell what it was he was doing.

/

Taro walked into work that day, late as usual and the back of the store was in complete chaos. There were policemen, flashing blue lights, and yellow tape everywhere. His first thoughts were to talk to Abe the manager and his boss. Dodging the men in suit, he found Abe in the back conversing at length to another policeman. Taro waited for the other to finish before approaching.

"Aw, Taro, was wondering when you'd show up."

"What in the world is going on here," Taro asked getting straight to the point.

"Had to call the police early this morning when I came in. You should have seen the amount of blood that was out there—enough to kill a man if I'm not mistaken."

Taro's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Are you serious?"

"They have the entire area blocked off—it's under investigation. Of course, the first suspects are the guys that work here so I gave them permission to take blood samples of everyone. The man over there," Abe said as he gestured to a man off to the side that had a considerable amount of medical supplies spread out, "is taking them. Make sure you see him."

"Alright."

"You're to act as if nothing is happening back here and go on like normal. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. Oh, and by the way, have you seen Kazuya?"

"No, actually. Isn't he usually here already?"

"Without fail. I'll let the police know about it."

"You don't think…"

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions," Abe said before the other could finish his thought. He must have been thinking along the same lines.

Whatever was happening, Taro was almost certain that it had to do with Kazuya, their newest employee. He hadn't even been working there that long and now this. Taro eventually made his way back out to the front and acted as if everything was fine. He greeted and helped customers as if it was any other day. Kazuya would usually be there alongside him. He'd gotten so used to his presence that he instantly felt the difference when he wasn't there.

Taro always had a feeling that there was a lot about Kazuya that he didn't know. Whenever he had tried to hold a conversation with him, he always seemed out of touch with recent events. He held no opinions on politics of any kind nor did he have any hobbies that he was into. If he'd admitted that he used to spend every waking minute at the gym, Taro would have believed him instantly. Taro had asked him on several occasions, but Kazuya could be surprisingly evasive—he admitted to nothing. It was as if he had no past and wished not to speak on it. On the other hand, Taro had told Kazuya almost everything about him in hopes that the other would do the same. He'd lived a pretty uneventful life so it wasn't too difficult to accomplish, but Kazuya; he seemed as if he was too embarrassed to even begin to talk about himself. So he had remained a mystery despite all the time they had spent in the same proximity to each other.

He knew somehow that he was likely to never work with Kazuya again. The incident that had happened in the back must have been some kind of turning point. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume that such a muscular man also was familiar with combat. Perhaps he was hiding out here at this new job. Perhaps he had been trying to run away from his past. Perhaps yesterday, his past had caught up with him. Whatever was the case, Taro would be working at the athletic shoe store living his mundane lifestyle as usual and what Kazuya chose to do with his life was his own business.

/

Benjamin couldn't believe his eyes as he looked over Aiko's interior on the passenger's side.

"What in the world did you and Kazuya do last night?" he asked incredulously, "Did he bleed to death?"

"Not quite," Aiko said, "He seemed fairly well by the next morning."

"That man can bounce back from anything."

"He certainly can. I'm just not sure _what_ happened last night. There was this ninja guy and they were just duking it out right there in the street. That ninja was deadest on killing him…if I hadn't been there…"

"Aiko, how could you put yourself into so much danger? I know how much you like him…but there's a line you don't cross, okay"

"Not you too," Aiko said exasperatedly. "I do what I want."

"I'm your brother, like it or not. I'm not going to sit around as you get yourself further and further into trouble. Kazuya…he's a dangerous person to be around, you should know full well."

"I do—

"No, you don't or else you wouldn't have done what you did last night. He understands that as well, I suspect."

"So you don't want me to see him anymore."

"You and I both know that that's not going to happen. I just…want you to be careful. When you come to me with a car looking like this—I get really scared. What if next time, it's your blood? What if something more serious happens?"

"Look, I understand. All I want to know is if you can replace the interior or not. I can't drive around with all that."

"I'll have to. If anyone else does it, you could get into trouble."

"Thank you."

"But, Aiko, this is your first and last time you ask me to do something like this."

"Alright, geez. I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm not sure you know how _serious_ this is."

"You can stop treating me like a little girl."

"I will if you stop acting like one," he said with a frown.

"Benjamin! You have a lot of nerves. I've caught you doing things you'd rather not have me repeat right here and now. Like that time back in college—

"You don't have to continue and that was different."

"How so? You were acting like an immature little boy."

"Well, at least I didn't put myself into life or death situations. It's different. I don't feel like fussing with you right now. Besides, I'm the person who's going to change your entire interior—for free, I might mention."

"Fine. No more fussing. I really do understand your concerns, but this is my life—if I feel like I'm crossing a line, I won't do it, but Benjamin, I believe that I _had_ to do what I did last night. I couldn't bear to watch him die. I just found him again. I couldn't, I just couldn't…" she felt the words stop in her throat as hot, tingly tears began to make their way down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them away so that Benjamin wouldn't see, but it was too late.

In an instant, she felt his arms around her protectively. It was something he always did on the rare occasions when she would allow her tears to be seen by him. Now that it was too late to hide, she simply let them go. She had no idea how long they stood there like that, but she was the first one to pull away.

"You know I hate it when you do things like that," Aiko said when she could finally compose herself.

"Sorry, it was impulsive of me. I just don't like it when you cry."

"It's alright. I'm fine now."

"Why don't you take my car for now and I'll focus on yours today."

"Really? You're going to let me borrow your car?"

"Take it before I change my mind," Benjamin said with a grin. "Oh and there's one thing I wanted to ask you."

"Yes?"

"How was Kazuya doing when you left him?"

"Like I said, fairly well."

"You know what I mean—depressed, sad, happy?"

"Umm…now that's a hard one to answer. Content. That's the word. Worried, maybe. There was obviously something between him and that Jun woman who kept calling him. Why?"

"Just curious. You had to have thought it was strange too when he said that he was 'exorcised' and he wouldn't expound on it."

"Maybe there was nothing else to say."

"Or maybe he's not telling us something or you for that matter. I don't want to see you in a relationship where the guy doesn't really love you, just you. I mean, Aiko, you're a model—you have to be used to the harsh reality that most guys would only like you for your beauty."

"I think I've heard this lecture before."

"Yeah, I say it every time and you never listen."

"I do!"

"Right. You're going to keep seeing Kazuya whether I like it or not."

"I knew it—you _don't_ want me to see him anymore."

Benjamin sighed exasperatedly, "I just want to make you more aware."

"I don't get it. You guys were friends back then. I'd have thought I'd get the 'okay' on this one."

"We _were_ friends and that's using the term very lightly. There were always things about him that I didn't know or understand. Maybe when I was a little kid I thought that was pretty cool, but now that I'm older, nothing good could ever come from it. I'm sure there's a reason he chooses to be so secretive. Truthfully, I think he's a good guy, but if he isn't 100% into you, then it's not really worth the effort. Not when it comes to him."

"And that's your advice."

"That's my advice."

"You know what I'm going to do later on tonight?"

"Yeah, I know."

"And with your car."

"Do what you want. I'll be here completely prepared to hear your whining when your feelings get hurt."

"Oh, please, that's not going to happen."

"Right. Just get out of here, will ya? This could take me all day."

"Say no more."

Aiko had on another pair of stilettos and click-clacked all the way to Benjamin's lime green Lotus before taking off into the world. She had plenty to do that day, but the entire day her mind would return to Kazuya and the time she planned to go and see him. Aiko needed to know if there was a chance for them to work out. This Jun—she seemed desperate. To call a man that often in the early hours of the morning was never a good sign. The fact that Kazuya himself was uncomfortable with allowing the other to see him in such a weakened condition meant that he made a habit of keeping things from her. Also, Aiko had spent many lunches with Kazuya and the whole time he hadn't so much as mentioned Jun's name. Maybe they were simply an on and off relationship. Aiko was certain that once Kazuya knew how devoted she wanted to be to him, he'd eventually fall for her as well. What man wouldn't want a pretty number like her completely in their corner? Aiko believed she already had one foot in the door. Little did she know.

/

**Later on that night**

Jun found herself standing there on Kazuya's doorstep fed up to the point that she'd demand an audience with him in person. She hadn't expected him to react in such a way. Sure it was something that had come as surprise to her as well, but this was too much. He wasn't even returning any of her calls. That bastard was going to pay one way or the other. She banged on the door again and again until her knuckles became red.

"Kazuya!" she yelled at the door, "I don't know who you think you're fooling, but you better come to this door right now before I knock it down!"

Really, it was quite immature on his part. They couldn't just talk things out? They couldn't simply sort out the situation or even sort out their relationship for that matter? It was hard to tell whether they were together or not. Kazuya had never verbally said it, but it seemed like an unspoken law—that they were together. Even if they didn't talk as often, it still felt that way to her. Jun had allowed him his space, but eventually they would be "together" in physical terms, not just emotionally. As far as relationships went, this was the longest and strangest one she'd been in. Ironically, it was also the one she most wanted to work out.

Jun turned when she saw an interesting looking loud green car pulling up to the curb. She knew instinctively that this couldn't possibly be Kazuya. Perhaps it was someone who had gotten the wrong address. Out stepped a goddess. A light breeze ruffled her shiny almost sparkling dark hair along with the bright golden streak. She walked with confidence down the drive way. The woman was sleek and buxom all at the same time; it was enough to make Jun become self-conscious. All she wore were jeans and a shirt, nothing special. The only make up she wore was lip gloss and that day she had barely run a comb through her hair before rushing out the house in her frustration. She felt far inferior to the other and she still had no idea who this woman was.

"Who are you?" Jun asked immediately when the other woman was within earshot.

"Aiko," she replied simply. "You waiting for someone?"

"Kazuya. He lives here last time I checked."

"He does," Aiko replied with a smile, "He most certainly does. You must be her then; Jun."

"Yes, that's correct, but how did you—

"You're the one who kept calling him this morning. Must have been something really urgent."

Jun's eyes narrowed, "So you were with him?"

"It's not so surprising, you know. Kazuya and I; we're dating."

"W-What?!" Jun said sharply. "That explains a lot." Then she sighed. "How could I be so stupid—I miss the signs every time."

"It's alright. I'm sure you mean well, but Kazuya no longer wants to see you. Better to hear it from me, right? Instead of getting embarrassed in front of him."

Jun turned from her. It wasn't often she actually became angry, but this time there was no mistaking it. The sensation felt odd and burning. All she wanted to do at that moment was lash out on anyone nearby, but she caught herself before she did as much. "I don't care."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't care what it is he wants. I'm going to speak with him and that's that. I need to know something."

"You really are naggy, aren't you? That's definitely one way to drive a man away."

Jun couldn't believe it. She had used the same word Kazuya had sometimes used to describe her. Had he and that woman really spoken at great lengths about her? All this time she had felt so secure in their relationship and the whole time Kazuya had already moved on to someone else. It was a depressing fact, almost too much to deal with.

"I'm not the kind of person who leaves things alone. That's not the kind of person he needs to be around anyways. I take it you don't know where he is either since you're here same as I am."

"No…I guess I don't. You sure he isn't here?"

"I haven't heard any movement in the house since I got here."

"Oh no…"

"Oh no, what? Just spit it out already."

"I…well, I'm sure he doesn't want me to tell you this…but last night he got into a fight with some crazy guy with a sword and Kazuya…well, there was a lot of blood and I bandaged him up."

"All this happened?" Jun asked in horror, "Right under my nose? Why didn't he just tell me, that stubborn fool? Did he think he was somehow protecting my feelings by doing so?"

"I don't know what he was thinking. He just didn't want you to know and he confided in me."

"I understand now," Jun said with the beginning of a smile. "I understand perfectly. I guess I really should get the full story before jumping to conclusions. When he didn't answer my calls…I thought he was just ignoring me." Jun turned to Aiko again. "He told you to leave him, didn't he? You left him to himself, right?"

Aiko nodded. "But he seemed alright—

"That's just like him."

Jun turned to the door and then began to tug on it.

"Wait! What are you doing? You'll break the door," Aiko said in surprise.

"I know. It's for his own good. There's no telling what he's doing in there. That man just doesn't know when to ask for help."

Jun shook the door a few more times before standing back to try a different approach. She calmed herself before giving the door a nice hefty kick breaking it off its hinges. She ran in afterwards and so did the astonished Aiko.

"Kazuya!" Jun yelled. Then Aiko did the same.

Jun checked in his bedroom first, but it was Aiko who found the first real evidence of him being there that morning.

"I found something," Aiko called to the other.

Jun walked in and found a mass of bandages littering the living room couch. "I guess he didn't need those anymore. There's no fresh blood yet I know he'd still have to be bleeding to some extent. The blood on the bandages seem hours old."

"Where could he have gone?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"You've known him longer. Please, you have to think of something."

Jun sighed. "There's more than meets the eye here. Looking at how he was careless enough to leave dirty bandages on the couch, you'd think he'd also leave out the first aid kit he must have used to re-apply the bandages."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means it's quite possible he no longer needed them—as in he must have already been healed for some reason."

"But that's impossible."

"With Kazuya, there's hardly anything that's not possible. It could all mean something far worse."

"What?"

"I'm sorry—it isn't something I can talk about freely."

"Look…I know there's something really strange about Kazuya. I knew him before once upon a time. I know about the 'thing', the ghost or spirit thing."

"He told you," Jun asked incredulously.

"It was no easy task. I learned from someone else who had seen it himself and that someone eventually coaxed him into spilling the beans, just a little at least. From what I understand, all is well. Whatever was wrong with him before is over."

"That's what I thought as well. I was there when that spirit you speak of was taken from him, but it could just be a temporary fix."

"Do you mean he's in danger?"

"It would be no surprise at all to me if that spirit waited for when he was physically weak to make its move."

"Then what should we do?"

"There's nothing we can do. I'll keep calling him, but it's his prerogative whether he decided to pick up."

"I should call as well."

"Do that. Right now, any word from him is fine with me. But if it's true that Kazuya has reverted…then I think I know the first place he'd go."

"To your place?"

Jun looked at the other with a grin. "No, that's not how it works. There's only one part of Kazuya that's capable of love and now that part is far less apparent. He wouldn't go to my place at all. He'd avoid it all cost. The Mishima Zaibatsu corporate building. I think we can find him there."

"Alright then, let's go."

/

**Half An Hour Later:**

"This place is pretty big," Aiko commented upon stepping out the car and seeing the building fully.

"Yep. You're looking at one of the wealthiest corporation in Japan and it's always been in the Mishima family. Come on."

Aiko followed Jun into the now dark building. Since it was so late, Aiko didn't think the building would even be open, but it turned out it was. Jun stepped to the door and the sliding door opened quite easily.

"So he really _is_ here," Aiko said quietly, "But why so late?"

"Who knows? I guess we'll find out."

Aiko nodded and continued to follow the other. Jun had taken the lead, but it was better that way. Aiko had no idea where they were going and she certainly would not have jumped to the conclusion that Kazuya was here of all places. Aiko looked at her from a short distance. She was a natural beauty—it was something that she had simply been born with. Make-up might have made her seem otherworldly. She was very practical, Aiko could tell, calm and peaceful all at the same time. Even when she had clearly stated that she and Kazuya were dating, Jun had hardly lost her cool. Jun seemed to have the kind of confidence that was unshakable no matter what. She had strength both physically and emotionally. Aiko could tell right then and there why Kazuya would fall for such a woman. Perhaps he didn't exactly pine for a dainty, pretty girl, but for something more than that—one that knew when to go against his wishes, one who knew when to back off or not to. Kazuya needed someone like that because he was far too hard-headed for anything less. It saddened her a little. She wished she could be more forthright, but it just wasn't in her nature. She only wanted to please him in any way, shape, or fashion and that was all. She would be content with just that, but Kazuya would be left unfulfilled.

The elevators didn't work so they climbed the stairs past floors after floors until Jun deemed it was the right one to get off on. Aiko was an expert in walking in heels, but this was ridiculous. She was clearly out of breath by the time they stopped. Had Jun not allowed her time to rest, she might have quit right then.

"He's here. I can tell. Right behind those mahogany doors. I need you to be ready when I open them."

"Ready for what?"

"For anything."

Aiko stood up when she was ready and walked side by side with the other to those doors and then they were opened. All Aiko saw was a deep darkness, but then a shock of fear ran through her when she finally noticed two glowering eyes looking towards them seemingly floating in mid-air.

"Devil, what have you done with Kazuya. You release him now," Jun ordered.

Aiko stood behind Jun now. She had no idea what was happening and all she wanted to do was run and hide. Where was Kazuya? She had come only to help him.

"I don't order take orders from you nor have I ever," came the deep, dark voice of Devil

To Aiko's amazement despite its deepness it had an uncanny resemblance to Kazuya's voice, but she could just being hearing things.

"Kazuya is long gone. That pathetic fool stood no chance against me," Devil continued. "You want to salvage what just isn't there anymore. It's touching, truly."

"I'll stop you."

"Will you? With what power?"

"Maybe not today, but someday I will and you better be prepared."

"Hm. Or I could kill you right here and now."

"You wouldn't. Your hold over Kazuya isn't strong enough."

"And you know that for a fact?"

"Yes."

"I will be rid of you flies sooner or later, but for now; leave me."

In that instant, Aiko felt herself lifted from the ground and cast backwards out of the room and into the nearest wall in the hallway. Jun joined her almost simultaneously. The attack didn't seem to faze Jun all that much as she was back on her feet in no time while Aiko was still struggling to deal with the sudden pain and regain her balance.

"Kazuya! You have to let me in!" Jun yelled out.

She ran to the door and began to yank at the handle and then rattle the door. It was no use, however, the door was slammed firmly shut. No amount of finagling from Jun would open it.

"Let me in!" Jun cried out again.

By the time Aiko got to her feet, Jun had already slid down to her knees in defeat. In compulsive fashion, Aiko bent down to her level and held her close.

"I'm not sure what happened here today, but it will be alright. Somehow, I know you'll be able to make things right."

"Oh, Aiko…you haven't the slightest clue, do you? _That_ was Kazuya. The man who we spoke to a few moments ago. That is all that remains of him. What am I going to do?"

Aiko was speechless upon her understanding the situation. She had no idea what to do next.

"Devil has a plan as usual," Jun began slowly. "Of course, I've realized now his ultimate goal. Kazuya was simply a means to an end. I'm almost certain what he will do next—eliminate all that may stand in his way."

"But how would he do that? How would he know where to start?"

"Have you heard about the Iron-Fist Tournament?"

"The one tournament that determines the next CEO for the Mishima Zaibatsu. It all sounded a bit ridiculous when I heard about it on the news. You can't choose a CEO based on that."

"It was never about that. The first one Heihachi Mishima called was probably to draw out his son and get rid of him. Heihachi, he has a huge appetite for combat and conquest. He also just wanted to feed his ego. He never had a doubt that he'd be the winner until his son took him by surprise. This tournament as well will have nothing to do with choosing a CEO—it is simply an added benefit."

"We have to stop him then."

"We can't. Not like this. We wait for him to make his move first."

"Jun…I don't think I'll be of any help."

Jun touched the other's hand. "Probably not. You still have a chance to live a perfectly normal life. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away from Kazuya and you'll let me deal with him."

"Is that an order?"

"That is my advice as someone who was in your shoes once," Jun said as she stood up. "For now, I need to prepare myself for the worst."

"I'm coming with you."

"Do so at your own risk."

The kind of confidence that radiated from Jun then was something that far outshined her own. In the face of uncertainty and danger, Aiko felt that she would simply fall apart. She knew very well that had Jun not been there at all, she would not have come this far. She'd still be at his doorstep waiting forever for his return. This strange woman before her—Aiko could not compare. She'd help as much as she could, but even she knew that she could only go so far. She'd return to her own life eventually, but her heart and mind would always be with Kazuya. Always.

They returned to Kazuya's house and split ways in their own respective cars. Not even a few hours went by and like clockwork on the very next day, a tournament was called.

/

AN: You know how there's a writer's block? Well, I had a complete opposite of that and thus this chapter was born.

**Reviews:**

First of all, **LittleLolitaChick** (I'm not sure, but your penname reminds me of Death Note), 4 reviews in a row?—that made me very excited. I'm glad you've finally found your way to this fic. It's an ongoing project of mine so at the very least it has to be readable. I liked the amiable Kazuya as well since it's what I imagined he would be like had he never met Devil. Sadly, it is short-lived. As far as humor goes, I wasn't aiming for it, but I guess it's sort of innate when you're talking about a grown man fawning over tennis shoes. Hopefully, he'll be able to redeem himself on the cool points…on second thought…

**Sokka2Me** (wait a minute, your penname is a reference to Avatar, right?), I'm not all that familiar with voice actors, but I'd say Aiko would have more of a silky, smooth voice and Benjamin would have….umm…a "normal" guy voice. Remember the grown-up Simba from Lion King? Something like that.

**GirasolGirl**, always glad to hear from loyal readers. Bringing back Becky and Benjamin was a twist for me as well. They were just side characters so I wasn't sure if anyone cared if they lived or not. Oh well, I guess it all worked out for the best.

**AniDenDav**, it had to happen sometime, right? We're never quite sure when Jun actually gets pregnant but it would certainly have to happen before the conclusion of the second tournament. And that kiss…I just had to do it, I just had to.


	14. The Date is Set

AN: The wait was rather long this time, wasn't it? Without further ado…

Chapter 14: The Date is Set

When the Mishima Zaibatsu announced that a second King of Iron Fist Tournament would be held, it reverberated throughout the world. The media exploded with excitement and Kazuya's refusal to be seen in the limelight made the story all the more juicier. All those who had participated in the last tournament already had some excuse to attend, but the real reason was the prize money which was a thousand times more than it had been previously. Kazuya did this purposefully in order to draw out more fighters.

Thousands of so-called fighters clamored to participate in the tournament, but a strenuous competency program was put into place for exactly this reason. Similar to the preliminary fights that had preluded the last tournament, fighters were expected to prove that their fighting skills were up to standards before they would be recognized as participants.

Devil was in full control of Kazuya for now and there was little resistance from Kazuya. A deal had been struck. Devil had agreed to allow Kazuya the chance to fight when the time came at the end of the tournament. That was all that he had to look forward to, but that was enough. He felt that his long battle against Devil was coming to a close. Better that he got some enjoyment out of it while he still could. He was resigned to his fate at last. He no longer saw any justification in dragging Jun down with him. She was with child and had her own problems to deal with. If she had any sense at all, she'd abandon all attempts at saving him. Surely by now she understood the fruitlessness of her efforts. There was nothing she could do. The closer the date of the tournament drew, the closer Kazuya drew to his spiritual death.

Kazuya, first of all, qualified Bruce Irvin's participation into the tournament. He was given a free pass, but it came of no real surprise to Bruce who had for the last year worked for Kazuya. It was a blessing in the skies as far as Bruce was concerned. Having survived being chased down by a hired killer and a plane crash, Bruce was more than happy to take what he saw was his only escape from a life of running. Protected by the Mishima name, Bruce unquestionably followed whatever orders Kazuya gave him. He had proven his loyalty to Kazuya; keeping behind the scenes and doing the kind of dirty work that even Lee was unaware of. That he would be representing Kazuya in the coming tournament was proof that Kazuya at least recognized his loyalty. Ganryu was chosen as well to enter the tournament completely bypassing any competency tests. He was yet another minion of Kazuya's mostly given the task of acting as bodyguard whenever Kazuya asked for it. It wasn't very often, but just often enough to make him necessary to keep around. Kazuya wanted to surround himself with strong capable men and especially with men who didn't mind getting their hands dirty. The less that Kazuya had to do himself the easier it was to keep the real Kazuya completely in the dark not to mention the practicality of such arrangements.

Then there was Anna. A woman who was both flirtatious and fierce all in the same breath; she had the looks to back it up as well. She used her natural talents to catch the attention of the rather isolated Kazuya after spying on his whereabouts for weeks. By then, word had gotten around of Mishima Zaibatsu's connections to the underside of the business world and of Kazuya himself being quite the dubious character. A man such as that would have need for a woman of her skills or at least this was what Anna concluded. She knew that if she could land a job working for Kazuya her life would be set. No more running around. No more tracking down clients and risking getting caught by the authorities. If she was backed by a powerful corporation such as the Mishima Zaibatsu, she could breathe a sigh of relief. That was why she painstakingly went after him at a near obsessive degree.

She followed him into a diner one day. She had staked the place for three days straight knowing that it was a place that he frequented for dinner in the late hours of the night. In fact, Anna was quite sure that Kazuya had struck some kind of deal with the restaurant to stay open until midnight to accommodate his late work hours. Not too many restaurants would do as much since it wasn't a very profitable practice. She knew what she was doing. Her kimono dress was teasingly revealing and she wore stilettos to accentuate her walk. She was quite a curvaceous woman and she planned to use this to her advantage. She saw the large sumo wrestler sitting at a separate table trying to seem inconspicuous, Anna knew better. He had to be Kazuya's bodyguard; Kazuya hardly ever said anything to the man yet he felt the need to drag him along to certain places. No one else besides those two happened to be there that night anyways. With heels clicking with confidence, she strolled towards Kazuya's table as if it were completely natural. She immediately felt the tension in the air all of it stemming from the wrestler. Kazuya was already looking at her and she made sure to match his gaze. Yes, this man was not to be trifled with she realized, but such realizations did little to deter her—she found it to be all the more intriguing. Few men could incite such a feeling from her at first glance. Anna heard Ganryu's chair scrape against the floor as he stood up. Before he could even begin to move towards her, Anna watched as Kazuya gave the other a sharp look. It was enough to send him back to his seat. Anna smiled approvingly as she gathered Kazuya's attention once again and by now stood in front of his table. Without being invited, she took a seat right across from him. It was a small table; one that only two people could sit at a time. Anna could tell that he was clearly amused.

"So what brings you here, Anna," Kazuya said upon her sitting. He had put down his chopsticks, his meal almost completely forgotten.

It was quite a shock to hear her name and a look of surprise crossed her face for just a second before she regained her composure. "I see you've done your homework."

"Not many things escape my attention."

"Well then, I guess I'll get straight to the point then, I want to—

"Yes."

Anna was confused for a moment. "Yes, to me working for you?"

"What else would a hired killer want from me at such late hours?"

"I promise I'll make it worth your while," Anna replied sitting back comfortably in her seat in a way that made her breasts far more prominent.

"I'm sure you will. Since you've gone through all the trouble, why don't you order something?" Kazuya turned to the larger man nearby, "Bring the server."

"You're really too kind."

Kazuya looked at her strangely when she said this. "I'm sure you'll find yourself recanting such statements in due time. You will be protected by me as long as you prove useful. The moment you're not or the moment you feel the need to betray our agreement, I will have you killed."

"Just the right motivation. I'd be worried if it was any other way."

She tried to stay as relaxed as she could, but a cold fear had found its way to her. No, this was not a man to be trifled with. Kazuya spoke more on his conditions as the night wore on—he was quite a meticulous man. He was all business and almost no pleasure. Every once in a while Anna would find his eyes straying to other areas of her body besides her face but not for very long. She leaned in close when her food came and she had an excuse to. Even so, Anna could sense when she wasn't fully in control and this time she wasn't. It bothered her that he hadn't so much as mentioned that she was lovely or try to seduce her. From her experience, men in his position wouldn't think twice about doing such things. He was an oddity.

Anna finished her food and drank her champagne slowly as her mind took in all the details of their agreement.

"It almost feels like I should sign something."

"You know better than that. As soon as something is signed, that's evidence against me and the police would like nothing more than to find something like that."

"I was only thinking out loud. I'll take my leave now," Anna said standing not wanting to overstay her welcome.

"So soon?"

He hadn't said it in a pleading voice, but the question did bring a smile to her face perhaps there was hope. It was a fact that if her boss was in any way infatuated with her that her position would be made far more secure.

"It is getting rather late. I do sleep sometimes." She turned as a victory smile crept onto her lips.

"Well, don't let me keep you."

Even as she was able to smile, the cold feeling in her chest did not disappear until she exited the building. It was a wonder any woman was able to stay around him for long. Yet she found herself quite attracted to him. But then she had a habit of falling for unattainable men and he seemed as unattainable as one could get.

Later on down the line, Anna asked Kazuya to allow her to participate in the tournament. Initially, he had denied her request, but after giving her reason why she wanted to, he gave in. When she spoke of her sibling rivalry, he grew thoughtful and quiet. He asked if she'd be able to kill her sister if given the chance. When she acquiesced, Kazuya seemed quite impressed and told her that she'd be doing him a favor anyway. Nina still had a contract out on him. No doubt she had entered the tournament for the chance to kill him.

Those three were the only exceptions along with Jack-2 and Prototype Jack both of which were completely machine and merely sent in to balance the playing field. Boskonovitch, one of the scientists that Kazuya had tasked Bruce with nabbing, was in charge of military science. In the past, he had made Jack as well as other little toys that made Kazuya plenty of money in the right markets. One of his pet projects, combining DNA of animal and human in order to create a formidable living weapon, spawned Roger and Alex, both of which would be let loose onto the tournament island when the time came.

Kazuya left others in charge of organizing the tournament. He had hired plenty of other able-minded people to attend to such matters. He wanted to eliminate all that could ever oppose him once he began his full throttle plans of taking over the world piece by piece. He was glad when he learned that the roster of participants had increased this year. It meant less people that would be able to revolt against him. Kazuya could care less just who these people were; he just knew that soon they would be defeated. The participants wound up being Armor King, Baek Doo San, Heihachi Mishima(at this time he was going under a different name so as to conceal his identity), Jun Kazama, King, Kuma, Kunimitsu, Marshall Law, Chaolan Lee, Lei Wulong, Michelle Chang, Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, Wang Jinrei, and Yoshimitsu.

Even after they were chosen, however, they continued to train, especially the ones who had gone through this sort of tournament before. Endurance was key.

Lee trained on his own separating himself from even Wang who had offered to pass on some of his wisdom. Lee had been in a pseudo-rivalry with Kazuya. He knew as he thought back on things that it was all thanks to Heihachi. His father had wanted it that way and it had come to pass. Yet his want to become a more effective fighter than Kazuya remained in the back of his mind. It was impossible for him to ever hate his brother, not after what he had learned last year about him. He had to be stopped one way or another and that task, he believed, fell on him. Who else alive in this world could even come close to the strength and power Kazuya demonstrated in battle? He would have to confront him and defeat him. Lee felt that if he could prove to be the stronger man that the evil spirit that Kazuya harbored would abandon him completely. Isolated from everyone else, Lee honed his skills as a fighter. Perhaps the silver-haired demon could bring Kazuya to his knees.

Paul was perhaps the most anxious for the tournament. Ever since his defeat at the hands of Kazuya, he knew that he must have a rematch. He was to be the strongest man in the universe. If he could defeat a full grown bear, than a mere human should have been a walk in the park. There was something about Kazuya, though. He was the ultimate fighter, the kind of fighter that Paul dreamed of being, strove at being. He grew angry just thinking about it. This time would be different, he felt. He had improved his fighting technique by attending more and more tournaments around the states. He had come out victorious each time he entered. He felt he was ready.

Lei Wulong found that the chips were simply falling all into place when his last minute decision to try out for the tournament actually panned out. Not unlike Jun, he was a police officer that wanted to arrest Kazuya for his alleged crimes. One too many reports with his name on it had crossed his desk. If anything, he wanted Kazuya to be properly interrogated. He was elusive as well as secretive. He saw the tournament as one of the few ways to meet him face to face. He didn't actually plan on fighting Kazuya but arresting him. He pictured the scene so often in his mind that it was almost like it was destined to happen. It was worth a shot anyway and it suited his unorthodox ways.

Michelle was drawn to the tournament on a very cruel whim on Kazuya's part. The entire situation seemed to be something that Kazuya must have concocted when he was utterly bored. There was a jewel that Michelle wore around her neck that according to Kazuya's sources was the key to unlocking great treasure. Instead of simply having his men grab her unawares and steal the jewel in one fell swoop, he decided to kidnap her mother with little pretense and making it obvious that it was he who was responsible by having his men leave a very frank and to the point note advising her that if she did not participate in the tournament that he would have her mother killed quite slowly and painfully. He did not give her a free pass; she had to prove that she was a competent fighter to even have a chance at saving her mother. Michelle Chang had good motivation to train—it was literally a life or death situation. She found that she hated Kazuya bitterly. She would see him pay for his callousness.

Others were training as well, all with their separate but compelling reasons. Baek Doo San wanted to finish off Marshall Law after being coerced into doing so by a secret organization aware of his spotty past. Marshall Law wanted to avenge his shamed dojo after Baek had, quite frankly, demolished his students in a very short time. Law knew that Baek was no normal fighter and trained accordingly. Nina competed to finally finish her task of assassinating Kazuya. Yoshimitsu was compelled to join by his resolve to rescue a certain scientist from the evil clutches of Kazuya. The trail had grown cold on Boskonovitch, the man who had once saved his very life. The one person that certainly knew his whereabouts was Kazuya and Yoshimitsu had ways for making people talk. Instead of wasting his energy on trying to locate and get him alone where he could quickly dispatch him, he simply entered the tournament. Not only would it be more entertaining, he could also bring the Mishima Zaibatsu under his control and finally send the large corporation down the righteous path once more. Killing three birds with one stone was one of Yoshimitsu favorite pastimes. Armor King and King had their own little rivalry going on, but it was actually a healthy rivalry. Armor King helped his friend King through a very desperate time in his life as drinking problems cropped up. Fighting was his only escape and it was the only way he could continue his contribution towards his orphanage.

Wang was motivated by much the same reason as Lee except that he was willing and planning on definitely killing Kazuya so that the world could be rid of Devil. After Jun reported to him that Kazuya was once again possessed by Devil, he knew that there was no way to ever really separate the spirit from the man so his only option left was to destroy him altogether. After a teenage Kazuya had fallen ill and was bedridden for weeks, Jinpachi had spoken at great lengths to Wang, his closest friend. Jinpachi was a superstitious man. He believed in such things as demons walking the earth and possessing humans. One of the last things he told Wang before his demise was that if Kazuya could no longer control the evil spirit, then it would be better to put him out of his misery rather than allow him to live the rest of his life a slave to the evil ones. Because Heihachi was the root of the problem, Jinpachi felt that if left alive he would make victim some other poor child; he felt it necessary to rid the world of him once and for all. Wang took his requests to heart though he was hesitant. He thought he might be able to get around such things, but it was impossible. It was imperative that this be done sooner rather than later.

And last but not least, there was Jun and she had her own special form of training.

/

AN: Took me longer than expected. I suspect the end chapters to these Tekken stories to get longer and longer. There are just so many characters. I try not to dwell too long on the ones that aren't directly involved with Kazuya, but then most characters have some connection to Kazuya.


End file.
